


Assimilated

by Jade_Blanc



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, M/M, Modern Character in Thedas, Modern Girl in Thedas, Zero's romance with Hawke is a slooooooooow burn, also dragon rider, also i kinda lied about hawke, also: there are dragons, but he and Zero very quickly like each other, but it's similar ish, but theres a lot more, in particular one dragon, its slow slow slow then all of a sudden bae shows up, kind of, like Hawke isn't even introduced til chapter 20 something, like it's not exactly earth?, this isn't a fast romance kids, yeah he's not introduced til chapter 20
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-08-27 14:39:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8405554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jade_Blanc/pseuds/Jade_Blanc
Summary: "Everyone knew the protocol for assimilated threaders back in her world. The guardians would follow them into their thread world and kill them there, then return to the Barrier and slit the assimilated's throat for good measure."Zero is absolutely NOT supposed to be in Thedas. Being chased like an apostate by her own people, she finds herself at the tender mercies of people she has studied for most of her life - the only catch is that they have no clue who she is or the dangers her knowledge could unleash... And what exactly is her connection to the mysterious tattoo that appeared on her palm?Well, fuck, if this isn't just her luck. *** under major reconstruction and hiatus ***





	1. Well, Shit

**Author's Note:**

> This updates on Tuesdays and is also found on Fanfiction.net. Chapters run about 2k words per chapter

Zero awoke in a cold, dark cell. Her head was throbbing, her arms were tied behind her back (very possibly to the chair she was sitting on), and there was a dull ache in her bones, which told her she had been sitting in the same spot for a while. There was nothing in the room, save herself, from what she could see. There was a large metal door in front of her however, and she could hear a shuffling sound coming from the other side of it.

"Hello?" She croaked. "Five, is that you? Where am I?"

The shuffling paused, then the door creaked open revealing someone Zero had never seen in her life. They poked their head through the open slot and gawked at her.

"Er, hello there." Zero tried her best to smile. "Did someone from Unit 305 put you up to this? I haven't seen you before, you're a new threader correct? Which division are you from?"

The person did not respond to her words, rather they flinched as the words bounced around the small room, and squeaked, slamming the door shut with a metallic screech.

Zero frowned. _That's not right_.

Sure, new threaders often were a little edgy when they first joined, but everyone in the Night Division knew that Zero was a big pushover, even if she was Captain. _Five must have convinced them that I was a mean Captain. I'll set them straight whenever they come back, then have a talk with Five about bullying new recruits_.

Zero sighed out loud. "I'm going to have to get a new Lieutenant for Unit 305, aren't I?"She tried wiggling out of her restraints, but the ropes were too tight and dug into her hands. "Who the hell even learned how to tie ropes like this? We're threaders, for fuck's sake! What have you been doing in your free time?"

There was a knock on the door and Zero stopped wiggling as a woman in a purple cowl and leathers walked in, smiling charmingly. "Horra, I un Leliana. Muav I ukk hav auai'xo kaddov holo?"

"I don't suppose this is a joke is it?" Zero felt a twist in her stomach. "A horrible prank played by Lieutenant Five in order to mock his Captain?"

Leliana shrugged, held up one finger, then knocked on the door. "Sarkaol, ka kod Solas uvk Danica krouko. Duv avai ivkolkduvk no?"

"I don't know what you're saying, but there's a building feeling in me that this isn't a joke." A pit filled with dread replaced the twist. There were a few people in the Night Division that disliked her, but none of them had the resources or extra time to kidnap her, learn a completely new language, and tie very well done knots. Forcing the pit down, Zero made a list of all the possible things that might have happened.

1\. She actually had been kidnapped.

2\. It really was all an elaborate prank pulled by some unit, most likely to be headed by Lieutenant Five.

3\. She had pissed off a Weaver and they were going to either reset her or send her 'away'.

4\. She was having a VERY realistic dream.

5\. She had assimilated.

Zero shuttered at that last thought. It was probably the most likely, but nonetheless the most frightening of the five. Slowly, as Leliana continued watching her, Zero went down the list in her head. _There's an explanation somewhere._

It was possible, but highly improbable she was kidnapped. She wasn't a high ranking Captain, and had only just moved up a couple months ago from being a Lieutenant. She knew nothing and did her best to bother no one.

The prank was also rather improbable. Threaders were generally all squishy babies; none of them had the strength to tie a rope this tight, and while she knew many who were dramatic little shits, none of them were as good at acting as Leliana, although she did look vaguely familiar. Maybe she was a different district's Captain who owed a favor to Five, although why would she be speaking a different language and wearing strange clothes? No, that didn't seem plausible enough.

Pissing off a Weaver made sense to her. Weaver 79 didn't like her relaxed attitude with the threaders, and that she also hadn't stepped down, but had absorbed her duties as a Captain while still keeping up with her job as a threader. Although, Weaver 79's problem was that Zero didn't fall under his jurisdiction anymore, and he couldn't punish her unless she royally fucked up. Maybe he was trying to get her demoted by implying that she couldn't control the threaders under her Captaincy. If that were the case, it would mean that Leliana was most likely a Guardian.

Her dreaming was more improbable than the first two. This was not a dream; not like any she'd had before at least.

_ Assimilation _ … Just the word made her want to throw up. However, if her case was indeed… assimilation, she would need to ready herself in preparation for the Guardian's search for her. What had Seven- no _Kalen_ , he had asked her to call him _Kalen_. What had Kalen said to her before he had assimilated and she had been reassigned? Something about her barcode and a tracker. _Well, I can't take care of that now with my hands tied. I'll have to wait until later_.

Leliana was still sizing her up across her at the wall. _Look closer at her, she's familiar for a reason._ The faint memory of campfires and monsters danced out of her reach. _Find out why._

_ Whose thread had I just started? The Inquisition, headed by Danica Lavellan, known as the Herald of Andraste after her survival of the explosion at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. How far in the thread had I reached? They reached Skyhold, Lavellan was named Inquisitor. I think that's the farthest in the thread I'd gotten. _ __ Zero sighed to herself. _And on the first thread too… I have no idea how things will turn out if I make it that far._ _And that's if I get past the Guardians._ She couldn't hide her grimace. _Well, shit._

The door opened, breaking Zero from her thoughts. Leliana nodded at whoever was on the other side of the doorway as they stepped into her cell. The first to come through was a bald elven man, and then a female elf, the vallaslin of Mythal like branches high on her cheeks, golden hair, a kind face, with gentle green eyes _– oh fuck, it's her_.

It was official - Zero had assimilated. _Just my luck._

The elven man, Solas, stepped forward to examine her. Zero filtered out their words as they talked about her.

_ That would be why I recognize Leliana, _ __ Zero mused _. She was a companion of the Hero of Ferelden. Divine Justinia V, formerly known as Revered Mother Dorothea, was Leliana's benefactor prior to the Fifth Blight and led her to her religious lifestyle. Leliana later became the Left Hand of the Divine and served as such until the breach opened and Justinian was killed in the explosion. I wonder which thread this is? I hope it's not one of the shittier ones._

Finally, Solas waved his hand in front of Zero's face, catching her attention.

"Horra. Ka avai huxo u vuno?"

"I don't understand your words." Zero replied to his gibberish, internally beating her head into a wall.

"Ah. Vuno, vuno." He pointed at each member of the cell. "Leliana, Danica, Solas. Avai vuno?"

_ Oh, you want my name. Fair enough. _ "Vuno, my name. Name Zero."

Solas nodded. "Nav name ak Solas. Avai name ak Cero."

_ My name is Solas. Your name is Zero. _ __ His pronunciation of her name was amusing, but at least Solas was trying to teach her the basics of whatever common language was used here. She'd probably pick it up quickly - after all she had been studying Thedas for over 10 years now. If she did a good enough job at learning the language, maybe she could get them to help her get rid of her barcode before the guardians came after her.

Leliana stepped forward. "Vholo ulo you dlan?" She opened the door enough for Zero to see the person she had believed to be a threader salute. "Sarkaol, kod u nik ad Thedas, uvk u dhual." Leliana reclosed the door as they walked off.

"Sarkaol, soldier." Zero muttered.

Danica seemed to hear her because she nodded. She pointed at Solas and herself, unhooking her staff from her back and pointing at it too. "Nuko."

"Nuko, mage."

The three of them looked at each other and smiled slightly. The soldier came back, carrying a rolled map in one hand, and a wooden chair in the other. Leliana pulled a knife from her side and Zero froze in panic. When did things escalate so quickly that they were going to cut her now?! Was Leliana really a Guardian?

Fortunately, Zero had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Leliana made a peaceful gesture and moved around her to cut the ropes from her hands. Zero slowly brought them in front of her to her lap, making no sudden movements.

She started to rub her wrists, when she noticed her hands were not the same as when she had last laid her eyes on them. On arms were thick black markings that looked like runes which swirled up her arms. On the inside of her palm was a tattoo that laid in the shape of a dragon curled into a circle. Unlike the other, it was not black but made up of reds, oranges, and yellows.

It was not from this thread-world. Before she had been assigned her Thedas' thread-world, she had studied another world.

_ It was a highly controversial move _ ; her Captain had told her after the reassignment. _No one ever changes thread-worlds unless you're close to the assimilator_.

"Alo you vad dunaraul vadhdhon tuddaak?"

Zero jumped at the voice. Solas was peering at the marks, pointing at the intricate lines. "Tuddaak."

"Tattoos. They aren't mine, I didn't have them before this." She shrugged. However, she reached her fingers down her leg and felt the back of her calf, where the barcode that listed her numbers and rank was branded into her skin. She forcefully prodded the muscles until she felt a hard _thing_ that she could only assume was the tracker that the guardians would use to find her. That would have to wait for now though. _If you're still alive somewhere out there, Kalen, you were right you old bastard._

Leliana moved back in front of her, holding a map of Thedas. "Vholo ulo you dlan?"

_ Where are you from? Nowhere they would recognize. _ __ The words were becoming easier to think about and learn. Still, Zero shook her head. "Not Thedas."

Danica and Leliana murmured to each other while Zero held out her arms for Solas to inspect. Eventually he had his fill and let go of her appendages. Danica cleared her throat behind him. She waved at Zero as she stepped out into the hall. "Kaak-kavo, Cero."

"Kaak-kavo. Good-bye." She waved as the two left and Solas settled down into the chair behind him.

"Harra." He waved.

_ Ah, so you're the one chosen to teach me then. _ Zero grinned widely at the elven man. "Harra. Hello."

By the time they finished their first lesson, many hours after Danica and Leliana had left, Zero was feeling very drained. She had accomplished much despite the language barrier, she felt. Solas was a good teacher with a lot more patience than she had with herself. As she yawned, the elf chuckled and stood, moving the chair close to the door.

"Good vakhd, Cero."

"Good night, Solas."

Zero spotted a thin blanket in the corner of the room on top of a pile of hay. _I guess that's where I'm sleeping for now._ She settled onto the prickly hay, but her thoughts still swirled in her mind, pushing at the walls to escape her brain.

"How am I going to get out of this? How am I supposed to explain?" Zero clutched the thin sheet as close as she could, eyes still wide open.

Everyone knew the protocol for assimilated threaders back in her world. The guardians would follow them into the world and kill them there, then return to their own world. After the assimilated threaders were killed in their escaped world, their soul would return to their body in the other world, where the guardians would slit their throat before they could yell, then destroy the thread they had 'corrupted'.

It was what they did with Kalen. It would be what they did to her.

She'd only been ten years old when she had been reassigned from her first world to Thedas' world, after the guardians had deemed her too close to her former mentor, Kalen. In the new barracks on her first night, she had asked her Captain what happened to the threads that were destroyed by the guardians.

_ They still exist, little Zero, but they have been corrupted from the assimilator's touch and we do not want their corruption to spread into other threads. _

As sleep started to fade into her vision, Zero resolved to talk to Solas the next morning. He seemed the most approachable, given that Danica was probably busy and Zero had the feeling that if Leliana thought she was a danger to the future-inquisitor, she wouldn't hesitate to shiv her. The guardians had nothing on how scary Leliana could probably become.


	2. Fading Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zero enters the fade and starts to get things together

Zero was in the fade.

It was an interesting experience, as an academic who had studied Thedas and its people since the days of the Hero of Ferelden. The Fade was an intricate part of their lives that effected them on large scale level, and to be able to walk among her studies was almost a dream come true.

Almost.

The Fade had decided to shape into the Luminary, the place where she and other threaders spent their days reading the threads of their assigned thread-worlds. She knew she was in the Fade because in her twenty years as a threader, she had never known the Luminary to be as desolate as it currently was.

She was the only person in the room, all the looms were empty, their thread-worlds tightly coiled in their assigned racks. There was never _not_ someone in the Luminary; most of the time it was threaders who were night owls and couldn’t sleep, but there was always someone there. However, here, there was not a hint of life besides her own. Zero shuffled down the walkway, making her way to the loom she had claimed when she first started threading, which was located in the very back of the Luminary. As she sat down on the wooden bench, smoothed with age and wear, she paused to think to herself.

The Fade was a place of demons and spirits.

Zero would have to be careful and keep her wits about her. She would listen to whatever the spirits might say to her, but she would be very careful not to agree to anything; soak up any information she could, but she would never make promises here. There was no point in escaping the guardians if she was just going to fall into a demon’s trap.

But, for now, she would enjoy all that she could learn from this place.

Breaking out of her thoughts, Zero ran her hands over the worn golden loom, the familiar feel of the metal and threading lending comfort to her. She would miss her life on the other-world, but over time, she would learn to live here. She’d probably be happier too.

The other-world treated threaders much like mages were treated in Thedas. The guardians were like Templars, watching the threaders, hunting them down when they escaped from the ‘safety’ of the Barrier. Zero would, of course, miss all her friends from her section and the other divisions, and hoped that the next Captain for units 300 to 350 would be as kind as she was, but there was no real sense of loss in leaving. Zero had no close friends in the Barrier, not since Thirteen and Kalen. But that didn’t matter either because Kalen was dead and Thirteen had ascended to guardianship.

Thedas was a new start; a new beginning free of her former chains.

With that thought, Zero rolled the threading back onto the loom and stood up, stretching her arms. A shadow shifted near the entrance of the Luminary. _Ah, it seems I’ve been found out._

“I know you are there, there is no sense hiding. Would you please come out?”

The stillness resisted her request for a moment, then a large black figure stepped out of the darkness of the shadows. It was a large black wolf with six red eyes. Zero raised her brows, but did not approach or attempt to speak with it further. The wolf, however, moved closer until they were within a good distance of one another. It cocked its head, noticing Zero’s tenseness.

“Be at peace.” The wolf spoke, sitting on its haunches, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. “I mean you no harm. I was only curious.”

Zero hid her grin. “Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”

The wolf blinked. “Why would Curiosity kill anything? He is a peaceful spirit.”

“Ah,” Zero blinked back. “Sorry, that is a saying from where I am from. It means you should be cautious while being curious because curiosity often leads to trouble.”

“I see…”

 _Not your best first impression Zero_. she scolded herself. _Why don’t we try again_? “What were you curious about? I will answer your questions as I see fit, but will not offer or agree to any promises, I’m afraid.”

The wolf nodded. “That is very wise of you. How did you come to be here? You are not of the Fade, nor of Thedas.”

“That is true.” Zero gestured to the looms. “I am from another world, but am not quite certain how I came to be here. I know it happens sometimes, but the means of how people fall into other worlds is not information that is common knowledge. All I know is that I cannot return to my world.”

The wolf tilted its head, its eyes narrowing slightly. “Why can’t you?”

Zero sighed. “In my world, I am a threader, someone who studies, or rather studi _ed,_ a world’s history and all its possibilities. In that world, threaders are similar to mages, but without magic. There are guardians who fit the mold of Templars, watching over them by day, and killing those who try to escape. They have most likely already noticed my escape, however unintentional it might have been, and are coming to get me.”

“Are the guardians who are after you a threat to those around you in Haven?”

“It is not impossible that they might be hurt.” she admitted. “But the guardians will leave them alone so long as they do not interfere with their mission to kill me.”

“Why do they want to kill threaders? How will they find you?”

“I was once told that it was because the threaders knowledge ‘corrupts’ the thread they have assimilated into, but I think it is because they only care about the threads that are ‘pure’ to them. If the thread has been touched by a threader, people are influenced in certain ways that they most likely would not have acted before. This is only my own personal theory though.” Zero shrugged.

She began rolling up her pants leg and showed the wolf the barcode on her calf. “This is how they find me. Behind the tattoo, there is a small piece of metal that they inserted into the muscle of my leg. It tells them where I am located, and the tattoo lets them know that they have found the right person. My plan when I awake tomorrow is to try to convince whoever is in charge to help me find a body burnt enough that I can take the tracker out and put it in the burnt bodies’ to trick the guardians into thinking I am already dead.”

“You’ve said threaders several times now, but what are they _really_?”

“They are like historians of sorts. For example, I studied Thedas’ history and its possibilities.”

The wolf let out a long suffering sigh. “You keep saying that. What does it mean?”

“Oh. Okay, well take the Hero of Ferelden. There is always a Hero in the histories, but there are many different versions of the Hero in each history. Who was the Hero in this world?”

“A city elf by the name of Allora Tabris.”

“Oh her!” Zero smiled to herself. “I think she’s one of the ones I liked. Saved Redcliffe and the mages of Lake Calenhad, didn’t poison the Urn of Sacred Ashes, brokered peace between the Werewolves and the Dalish of the Brecillian Woods right? Or was that Imogen Tabris? Who is the current ruler of Ferelden?”

“That would be King Alistair.”

“That might be Allora then. Imogen kept Anora as the sole ruler and had romanced Alistair, so he stayed by her side. Unless Allora wasn’t involved with Alistair and I’m thinking of _Maelina_ Tabris… They all get tangled in my head sometimes. It’s a process of trying to remember who was who and who did what.”

The wolf let out a low chuckle. “No, you are correct. Allora Tabris did have a romance with King Alistair, which ended when she sacrificed herself to the arch-demon. You know much about these Heroes then?”

“Yes, it was my job.” Zero nodded, pulling her thoughts from the possibilities. “Anyway, I followed many wardens through their adventures in Ferelden during the fifth blight, and know much of what could have been during those times and their outcome later in history. I had also studied the Champion of Kirkwall, and had just begun my studies of the so-called ‘Herald of Andraste’, Danica Lavellan when I awoke in a cell under Haven’s chantry.”

“Did you get very far?”

“Not particularly. I did get farther than what the current history is at. I would say I have approximately four or five months of future knowledge before history catches up with what I know.”

“And what happens in those months?”

Zero gaze the wolf a half-lidded look. “If you thought I would give up all my secrets at once, you thought me a fool, Wolf. I do not know who you are or what your game is. No, any information I will give only to Danica Lavellan and those she trusts.”

“You are wise to do so; however, I must ask why you have answered all my questions thus far?”

Zero sighed and ran her hand over her loom. “I do not know why I feel comfortable sharing these things with you, Wolf, only that I feel it is not a bad thing to do. Perhaps it is because I am overly eager to speak to someone in full understandable sentences and not the common language that I slaughter when I am awake. Perhaps it is because I feel no ill will from you, and I have not given you any information that will harm those who are currently taking care of me. Take your pick of my answers. However, I think it is time for me to awake, so goodbye wolf, maybe I will see you in future dreams if the guardians have not found me first.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Zero awoke panting on her scratchy bed of hay. She was drenched in sweat, despite the thinness of the blanket she had been given for warmth. Throwing off the offending fabric, Zero stood on her feet and began stretching her muscles out.

If she was to live in this world, she would have to pull her own weight. _When my well of information dries up, I’ll have to join the army or something. I need to get in shape by then if I want to be any help._ She had just finished her stretching and was debating the merit of jogging around the cell when there was a knock on the door.

“Hello Cero, good nalvark.” Solas pushed the door open, showing her a bowl of soup and a loaf of bread. Her breakfast for the day.

“Good morning, Solas. Thank you.” She replied, taking the food, and sitting in the chair she had woken up in.

She tore off a piece of the bread, dipping it in the warm soup that had bits of vegetables bobbing at the top. It was rather good for a prisoner’s meal. She’d have to savor this in the case that they didn’t believe her story. Too soon, the warm soup was gone and Zero decided to breach the subject of her barcode. She started to roll up the bottom of the thin cotton dress she wore so the barcode was visible.

“Solas.”

He looked up, examining her face. “Have tattoo on leg. Not good tattoo, very bad. Soldiers from not Thedas come to look for me. Soldiers not good for me, want to” she didn’t know kill, so she mimicked slitting her throat. “Not bad to Danica or you or Leliana, only want me. Want help please. Soldiers find me through metal in leg. If help me, need person can put metal in leg and be me. Need someone” she mimed slitting her throat again and a whoosh of fire “so soldiers can’t recognize not me.”

Zero offered her leg out to Solas and pointed out the metal piece with her fingers. When he found it, he examined the barcode for a moment before standing up again.

“Thank you.” he murmured. He made a stay here gesture. “Kduav holo, Cero.”

She nodded, and as he slipped out, she had a terribly lonely feeling build in her throat. She groaned and put her face in her hands.

_How am I supposed to do this?_

Even if she was learning the language rather quickly, how was she supposed to warn them of Corypheus without jeopardizing her position? Would they even believe her? And if they didn’t, would they leave her in this cell until Corypheus really did come? If they didn’t believe her, what would she do about the guardians?

_I’m fucked._

Before she could work herself up into a true panic, however, Solas returned – with Danica. They talked in normal tones and Zero caught words like ‘tattoo’, ‘dangerous’, and ‘speak’ thrown in around her name. Finally, Danica walked over to her and started to prod the barcode.

“It is called a _barcode_ in other-world.” Zero explained. “It speaks my name and rank as _threader_.”

“And it’s bad?” Danica asked, her fingers ghosting over the numbers.

“Yes.”

“Why are they after you?”

Zero thought for a minute on how to put it, then shrugged internally. She hadn’t wanted to get into this so early on, but she also didn’t want to lie. They’d find out eventually and it would be much worse if she didn’t just come out and say it now.

“In other-world, am like mage, but not mage. Called _threader_. Study history of other worlds by looking at threads. Sometimes _threaders_ slip into worlds. Some on purpose, some not. _Guardians_ are people after me, like Templars. Hunt down threaders.” She made the same slitting throat motion as she had with Solas. “Piece of metal in leg they use to find me.”

She took Danica’s hand and pressed a finger into the skin where the barcode was. When her finger finally found the metal, Danica grimaced. She took her finger from Zero’s grip and ghosted her hand over the tattoos on her arms. “And are these bad too?”

Zero shrugged. “Do not think so. They feel okay. Not know much about these tattoos.”

Danica nodded and stood back up, offering a hand to Zero. “Okay. How can we help you?”

“Will need to cut metal out of leg. Have to find person to pretend to be me.” She mimed fire again “best choice. Soldiers look for barcode. Person have no skin, they think I already dead. Leave with metal.” Zero examined Solas and Danica’s faces for any kind of disgust, but luckily she found none.

“There are many burned bodies near the Temple of Sacred Ashes. We will help you Cero.”

Tears pinpricked at the corners of Zero’s eyes. This was more than she had hoped for.

She pulled Danica into a hug, muttering her foreign words into the other woman’s ears. “ _I wish I had all the words in your language so I could properly thank you, however I pledge to you, Danica Lavellan, future inquisitor, that I will help you in your endeavors until my dying day in this world. You have my help as long as you need it and more_.”

While Danica certainly didn’t understand the words, she understood the sentiment behind them, hugging Zero tightly, then pulled back and showed her the brightest smile Zero had ever seen. “Welcome to the Inquisition, Cero. We will take care of you here.”


	3. Mistakes are Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zero learns some more words and also discovers she doesn't have as much time as she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates: On Tuesdays  
> Chapter lengths: 2K+ a chapter  
> Words Zero in language and her thoughts are in italics

Danica led Zero to the door, pushed it open and spoke to the soldier outside for a short minute. She didn’t understand what was said, but soon Solas and Danica were walking besides her up the stairs and into the main building.

 _The Chantry of Haven._ _It’s much different than when Warden Allora encountered it, but then again, it’s been ten years since she and her companions made the pilgrimage to the Temple of Sacred Ashes._

Once they breached the main building, many of the passing chantry sisters nodded and bowed to Danica, their eyes glancing off of Solas and Zero like they didn’t exist. Around the room, the women in religious clothing flitted about, talking to other sisters, and the revered mother in the corner near a shrine. It was all very busy movement compared to the stillness of her cell.

As Danica pulled her forward, blithely ignoring the attention and stares, Zero was struck with how lucky she was that she had fallen into a kind Inquisitor’s thread. How many Heroes and Champion’s threads had she studied that were just awful people? _Far too many_. Her thoughts were broken as Danica pushed the doors of the Chantry open and for the first time in over 23 years, Zero stepped out into a cool breeze and sunlight.

She was struck in an instant by the beauty of nature as tears prickled in her eyes once more.

In the Barrier, threaders were kept under lock and key, much like the mages of this world. Likewise, she had never left her ‘home’ in the Barrier. It was not dissimilar to a mages tower, but without windows and any exit doors guarded to the nines. She had faint memories from before she had been taken at the tender age of four; a large, cool hand in her own, and the smell of (what she assumed was) wild daisies. She had watched the memories of the Hero and the Champion, but she had only _seen_ their histories. Zero hadn’t felt anything like this in the threads.

She’d never felt so alive and at peace; the wind ghosting her skin, her black hair swaying in the breeze, the warmth of the sunlight on her skin. Things she’d never before experienced. It took her breath away in an instant.

There was a hand on her shoulder. “Cero?” Danica and Solas were watching her.

Zero wiped her eyes hastily. “Was like mage in other world.” She croaked. “Lived in big, tall house with many others. Not allowed out. Not been out since” she held her hands to her knees. “Was taken when small. First time out in many years. What’s that call?” She pointed at the sun.

“Kiv.” Solas stepped in front of her, blocking outsiders view so they wouldn’t see her crying.

“Kiv.” Zero croaked. “Sun.”

When Zero finally straightened up and dusted herself off, Solas and Danica walked beside her, teaching her more words and phrases as they pointed out places and people. Zero did her best to take in what she could, but overall was just enjoying the peaceful day with the breeze and warm light. Danica had just finished teaching her the word for _tavern_ when a short man stopped in front of them.

“Hello Herald, Chuckles.” The man shoved his hand in Zero’s direction. “Varric Tethras: lakio, kdalavdorrol uvk, addukaavurrav, ivvordano dukuravk. Nado da nood you, kvoodhould, what’s your name?”

“My name is Zero. Sorry, still learning language, say last bit again please?” Varric chuckled but repeated himself. Zero nodded. “Nice to meet you too, Varric Tethras.”

Seemingly satisfied (although not quite, if the twinkle in his eyes were anything to go by), Varric turned to Danica and struck up a short conversation. While they talked, Solas pointed out other things to her, teaching her more words and names, and correcting her grammar. When Danica was finally finished talking, they bid their goodbyes to Varric and continued around Haven. They had just reached the lower gates when Zero decided to breach the subject of races.

“What Varric kind called? And Danica and Solas kind? My kind?” Zero asked.

“Ah,” Solas exchanged a glance with Danica. “Varric is a Dwarf, Danica and I are Elves, and you are a Human. Danica is Dalish, which are elves who wander the wilds. I am also a wanderer, but do not consider myself Dalish. There is also another race called Qunari, who have horns on their heads. Are there no other races on your world?”

“Don’t know.” Zero shrugged. “Might be, but I only saw people work with. Everyone in Barrier is human.”

“I see.”

Zero had the feeling she might have committed some fax paus, so she eagerly moved the conversation along. “Where to next?”

The trio continued on their trek through Haven, showing her the training grounds, the stables, and then they stopped at the forge/armory. “We’re picking up a new staff for me, and some newer clothes that you can change into.” Danica explained, parking Zero and Solas at the tree line.

“Okay, thank you.”

“Well, after you get changed our next mission is to find you some work to do during your off time, so don’t thank me just yet. We’re also going to get someone to teach you to defend yourself while we’re away. We do a lot of missions, so we’ll introduce you to someone who’s almost always here.”

“Work is good.” Zero grinned. “Very glad to help. Know when we going to take care of barcode?”

“We’re going to talk to Leliana about that after this. We’ll probably go to the Temple of Sacred Ashes since it’s the closest and after we wrap up your problems, we’ll all help you assimilate into life at Haven.”

Zero stumbled and tensed at the word _assimilate_ and looked at Danica’s face shrewdly. “What that word mean here?”

“What?” Her eyes widened dramatically. “It means that you’d live here without problems, that you’d fit into the community with ease. Does it mean something else where you’re from?”

Zero’s shoulders hunched over. “Means I left other-world. Those called assimilated are traitors and cowards who escape into thread-worlds. Similar meaning to apostate as spoken by circle mages. Not nice thing to call someone in other-word. Can’t think of word called here, but if called in other-world, is word that causes fights.”

“A slur.” Solas supplied.

Zero nodded. “A slur. Technically true, since I am now here.”

Danica took her hands tightly. “If it is a slur, then you shouldn’t say that about yourself. I promise I didn’t mean it that way.”

Zero patted her hand. “I know. Do not worry Danica, you’re a good person. Trust you.”

They parted then, Danica leaving to talk to the forge master while Solas and Zero stood near the trees. Solas taught her some new words, but soon there was no new objects to point out and he began to help her fix her grammar more.

“You mentioned you were a threader on your world.” Solas began after the brief lesson. “What exactly does that mean?”

“Similar to a historian here. I look at person’s thread, or choices they make that shape the history. I studied Hero of Ferelden and Champion of Kirkwall before. Was about to study the ‘Herald of Andraste’, when I woke here. Know much about Hero and Champion. Studied Hero for” she held up seven fingers” and Champion for” three fingers “years. Don’t just look at one history. Are many different histories called threads, each thread has different choices and outcomes. My job was to see why people made choices and how they effected history and threads.”

“And you don’t know how you got here?”

“I have a… theory, but don’t want to say until more proof.”

“Are you sure? Maybe I could provide a different viewpoint.”

Zero shrugged. “Before studied Thedas, was studying another world. I very small then, and had only just started as threader. Had a mentor who was named Seven, but liked to be called Kalen. Kalen ended up assimilating into world we studied and I was reassigned. Typically, they wouldn’t reassign a threader to same division, but guardians thought I was young enough it wouldn’t matter maybe. Maybe having studied two different worlds made me likely to assimilate, even if I didn’t want.”

“Was the other world you studied much like this one?”

Zero smiled. “Very long time ago, but I think might have been. Remember dragons, but they had better relationship with their people here. Dragons bonded with people and those bonded with a dragon were called dragon riders.”

“It sounds like quite a world.”

“It must have been, for Kalen to want to live there.”

“How often do people assim – er, fall into other worlds?”

Zero smiled at his correction. “Not very often. Other than Kalen, only know of three other people who had done it in my years as a threader. One was a young girl, just before I became Captain. Old Captain was retiring and teaching me the ropes. Girl was still very new to threading when she fell. Weavers sent for Guardians to deal with her. They slit her throat at the _loom_ she working at, then entered the thread and killed her there. Once returned, they burnt the thread she was working on and carried her body away. I was told burning does not hurt the world, but gone from history; like she never was there.”

“Is that how you know about the metal in your leg? Your old Captain told you?”

She shook her head. “No, Kalen told me, maybe days before he assimilated. It’s why I have hope he might have survived in his world.”

“If he knew about it, why don’t more people do it?”

“Don’t think any of us know it’s there. I think it done when they brand us with our _barcodes_ , but don’t know for sure. They slip it in during that time maybe. Not know any different; can’t see them when they do it.”

“Hmm.”

They both turned and saw Danica being laden with all the things they had come to get. “Solas, I eventually explain this to Leliana and Danica, will you help me? Still new to language, afraid I not use right words.”

He thought for a minute. “Alright. If I am around, I will help you, _da’len_.”

“ _Da’len_. That means ‘little one’ right? Not been _da’len_ for a long time, but if you wish _hahren_.” Zero smiled.

Solas looked surprised. “Do you know Elven?”

“Picked up bits and pieces of many languages through years of study, but don’t speak a lot. Most I speak in Elven is eulogy heard from several Dalish Wardens, song from the City Elf Wardens, and lullaby Champions listened to.”

He nodded as Danica stumbled towards them, her new staff balanced precariously on a pile of new clothes.

“Oi!” She called. “Help me out here! These are your bloody things y’know!”

Zero raised an eyebrow but moved to take the clothes. “All of them?”

Danica echoed her movement. “You didn’t think we were going to keep you in those clothes, did you? You’ve been in them for the past four days, don’t you want to change?”

Zero choked on her tongue, the mild amusement draining to horror as the words registered in her head. “Wait, what? Four days??”

Danica and Solas looked alarmed at the rapid shift. “Yes? You were asleep three days and woke up on the fourth. Today is the fifth day since we found you. How long did you think you were out?”

“A day, at most! _Son of a whore! Fuck it all with a pointy stick!_ ” Zero tried not to panic more than she already was but was failing miserably. What little words she knew was had fled her head. “Listen, Danica, Solas, people after me? Less time than thought. Not too far away now, never more five days find assimilator! Tell you wanted, have wait after. They see I not dead, stop nothing kill me!”

“Alright Cero,” Danica soothed. “It’s okay, we won’t let them get you. We’ll take care of this right now. Solas, go tell Leliana about what’s going on, and also have her people look out for any suspicious people in clothing similar to Cero’s.”

“Tell what told you.” Zero croaked. “Tell will tell when back.”

Solas nodded, leaving as Danica turned back to Zero. “Okay. You come with me. We’ll pick up Iron Bull and Varric to help us in case things get out of hand.”

Zero nodded as Danica flagged down a scout to take her new clothing away. She desperately hoped the Inquisition’s kindness to her wasn’t going to be in vain. Before they headed back into Haven’s gate, Danica spoke with a very tall, muscular grey man with horns, who Danica shortly introduced Zero to as The Iron Bull. Continuing through the gates, they picked up Varric. Besides Danica briefly explaining the situation to the other two, there was only silence.

They didn’t run, but there was a speed and intent in their walk. It didn’t take long for the four of them to reach the temple. Danica had just set up Varric and Iron Bull as lookouts when a raven circled down, leaving a note before taking back up to the sky.

“Leliana is letting us know that three suspicious people are making their way up the route to the temple. Two men, one woman; no large weapons, but dressed in clothing similar to Cero’s. You might want to hurry up, you were right.”

Zero quickly searched through the bodies, looking for one whose features had been burned away enough so it would trick the guardians. Finally, she found one she deemed good enough for her purposes and sank to the ground next to it. Danica passed her a dagger from her belt, and Zero began to cut into the corpse’s muscle enough to where she thought the tracker would fit.

When she had made a deep enough hole, she bent her own leg at an awkward angle enough to where she could see the barcode on her calf. As she cut into her leg with the dagger, Zero tried to bite back the tears, welding her lips together with her teeth to muffle any cries of pain that escaped as she worked.

Finally, she felt the dagger scrape against the tracker and worked to wedge it out of the hole in her leg. A glint of metal shown through the blood as she drew the dagger back, which she plucked out with shaky fingers.

 _There’s so much blood. Far too much blood._ She pushed her thoughts aside in favor of shoving the tracker into the corpse’s new hole, then trying to stand on her feet.

She started to stumble, but Danica caught her and a soft green glow enveloped Zero. Danica was chanting words softly. _A healing spell. Oh._ She could feel her skin stitching back together, and while her leg still hurt, the pain was lesser. Laughing a bit hysterically, Zero drew Danica into a tight hug.

“Boss.” Iron Bull and Varric were back. “The people Leliana warned us about have just reached the bottom of the pathway. They should be here soon, so if you wanna hide, now would be the time.”

“Thank you Bull, Varric.” Danica replied. “There’s some thick woods we can hide in so that we can see if they buy it or not. Cero, can you walk?”

“I will try.” She croaked.

She took a step forward, and when she didn’t stumble too badly, she limped with the rest of them over to the tree line, slinking into the darkness. The others likewise disappeared. There were several tense moments when Zero thought she heard something approaching. Each time, she forced herself to breathe calmly through her mouth and numb her mind so she wouldn’t be the one to give them away.

Finally, three figures entered her vision. They hung around the corpse Zero had planted her tracker on, not touching or otherwise engaging the dead body. One figure, which had long red hair, swooped down and plucked the tracker from the corpse, holding it up to the light.

There was a very loud sigh that echoed in the silence. “ _Welp. This is disappointing_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Update: Thank you again to everyone who's liking and supporting the story so far. I wish I could post everything I have written so far, but I'm trying to pace myself. I have a lot more written (like 17,000 words worth) and it's a little odd to come back from how far I am with the story to this point where Zero is still just starting to spread her wings. I hope you're liking it so far and if you are please leave a comment or something!
> 
> Thanks again :)
> 
> -Jade
> 
> Update: 11/8/2016: I went through and changed some of Zero's dialogue to make her sound more rough around the edges. This is her second day in Thedas after all.


	4. Goodbye Zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zero dies - I'll let you figure that out what that means exactly  
> Also: Kisses with the former bae

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates: On Tuesdays  
> Chapter length: 2,068  
> Words Zero in language and her thoughts are in italics

Zero didn’t recognize the voice, but the image of the female guardian with long red hair popped into her head. She was the one that usually watched over the night division during their breakfast and lunch hours. _I think her name was Forty-something_.

“ _It’s too bad_.” Another unfamiliar voice responded. “ _I hear she was a great Captain, and one of the hardest workers in the Barrier. I was at least hoping to meet her before we had to kill her. I would have let her know they chose Lieutenant Ninety-Five as her replacement. Such a shame._ ”

“ _This place must be some kind of fucked up, with her looking like this._ ” The female responded again, her voice light and joyful, sounding completely out of place in the wreckage and dead bodies. “ _She’s just a burnt crisp. Of all the people that assimilate, I never thought Captain Zero would be one of them, but it looks like she got hers though, didn’t she?_ ” The woman laughed loudly.

“ _Let’s just grab the tracker and go._ ” The third person cut in. “ _I don’t want to stay here longer than I have to_.”

“ _You’ve been no fun since you became Captain_.”

The first man turned back to the woman, tension running through his body that even Zero could see. “ _Leave it, Forty-Two. Just take the tracker and get out of here. You keep this attitude up and I’ll make a report._ ”

Forty-Two made a noise of disgust and poked her tongue out at the man, sparkling silver before fading into nothingness.

The first man put his hand on the other man’s shoulder in comfort. “ _I’m very sorry, Thirteen. She doesn’t know your history with Captain Zero._ ”

Zero inhaled sharply and could feel her companions eyes on her. _Thirteen…_ Zero stared at her former best-friend’s back, tears leaking from her eyes.

“ _I loved her once, long ago._ ” He croaked. “ _I thought maybe one day, back when we were still threaders together, that maybe they’d let us marry, like I’d seen in the threads_.”

 _Don’t cry,_ Zero banished the memories of her and Thirteen together. _Not here. Not while you’re still in danger_.

The other man made a pitying noise and patted Thirteen’s back once more. “ _I’ll leave you to say goodbye then. Don’t take too long, I’ll tell the Weaver you heard a noise and went to make sure everything was okay._ ”

Thirteen didn’t respond as the man sparkled like Forty-Two had, then dissolved into nothing. Instead, he turned from the body and looked out at the surrounding area then back at her supposed body.

She could fuzzily remember his body on hers, laughing and exchanging stories of their worlds. His mouth hot on her neck-

“ _I know you’re alive Zero._ ”

Against her will, Zero’s body froze.

“ _You did an excellent job hiding the tracker, but I know for a fact that you know about the barcode and tracker. You’re smart enough to not get caught by us.  Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me, love_.”

Zero hesitantly stepped out from her hiding place. Danica hissed in her direction as she left the safety of the trees cover.

“It’s okay,” Zero murmured to them. “Know him. He’s safe. Stay there though.”

Thirteen was turned away from her, staring at the body again. His hair was shorter than she’d last seen him, four years ago when they were both still Lieutenants.

_Guardian regulation cut. Didn’t Forty-Two mention he was a Captain now?_

Other than his hair, Thirteen was just as she remembered; broad shoulders, tall build, the smatter of freckles that lined his neck that became more identifiable as she got closer. She reached about three feet away from him before she made her presence known.

“ _Thirteen_.” He turned to Zero, his honey-brown eyes meeting her green ones.

“ _Hey,_ ” He smiled sadly. “ _It probably wasn’t the best idea to show yourself, I hadn’t meant for you to come out. How am I supposed to trick myself into thinking you’re dead now_?” His voice caught and Zero crumbled.

“ _Oh, Thirteen_.” She closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing like there was no tomorrow.

“ _I’m so sorry_.” Zero pressed her face into his guardian leathers and breathed in his scent, committing it to memory.

“ _I know, Zero_.” He murmured into her ear, his breath tickling the skin. He drew back and kissed her forehead. “ _I’ve missed you so much. I wish they’d never reassigned me, but we’ve been dealt our cards and here we are now. I can’t stay long. Weaver Ninety-Seven will suspect something soon if I don’t leave soon, that rat bastard. Do me a favor before I go_?”

Zero laughed. “ _What would you like_?”

“ _A kiss, for old times’ sake. Something for us to remember each other by, and to let us let go_.”

Zero smiled and cupped his cheek, rubbing her thumb across the stubble of his three o’clock beard. “ _You are awake we have an audience right? I wasn’t dumb enough to come alone, you know_.”

“ _No_ ,” Thirteen whispered, leaning in halfway to her. “ _No, dumb would never describe you_.”

She reached up the rest of the way and pressed her lips to his, drawing his body closer to hers, his arms wrapped around her waist like a comfortable and familiar blanket. His lips were just as soft as they’d been the last time they’d kissed, and butterflies circled in her stomach, crying to be released.

But before she could think of deepening the kiss, Thirteen drew back, releasing her waist and untangling her hands from his neck which had crept there without Zero’s permission. They stepped away from each other, looking away as they both brushed tears from their eyes.

Thirteen cleared his throat, and when she turned back to him, he wiped away a stray tear she missed.

“ _I have to go now, to make sure they do everything right._ ” He smiled. “ _Tell your new friends I said to take care of you. Thank them for me. And you be good and forget about me alright? Don’t be afraid to move on and live without me._ ”

Zero scoffed, but smiled back softly. “ _As if I could forget you after a kiss like that. But I will, if you will_.”

His lips twitched into a grin. “ _Goodbye Zero_.”

“ _Goodbye Thirteen_.”

Like the others, he sparkled and disappeared, leaving Zero completely and utterly alone among the dead. She cleared her throat and called out to the others. “It’s okay. He’s gone tie up ends for me. They won’t come back.”

The three edged out of the tree line. Danica looked concerned, Varric looked warily concerned, and Iron Bull just looked wary.

“Are you okay?” Danica asked placing a hand on Zero’s shoulder as they reached her.

“No, not right now, but the danger’s gone and will be in time.” She tried to smile, but it probably came out as a grimace. “Should probably go talk to Leliana now. Now that everything is taken care of, can answer your questions without fear of guardians. Wouldn’t like Leliana angry with me.”

Danica and Varric laughed and Zero could see the wariness drain from the Dwarf and some from the Qunari who had a strange glint in his eye.

Danica smiled. “I’m sure after your explanation you’ll be okay.”

“Sure.” She wasn’t. But there was no way she was going to argue with Danica over that. They all turned to walk back to Haven. “Thirteen said ‘thank you for taking care of me’.”

“He was someone important to you, wasn’t he?” Varric asked her as they walked down the path.

“Yes.” She finally admitted. “He very important to me. Were best friends back when we both Lieutenants and later more, until time when he was reassigned to become guardian. Threaders and guardians not allowed to be together, so we let each other go. He went to guardians and I became Captain.”

“Did you love him?”

“Varric, don’t press her about it if she doesn’t want to talk.” Danica cut in, giving the Dwarf a stern look.

Zero chuckled. “It’s okay. Did when we were together, very much so, but eventually left to go separate ways. I haven’t seen him in four years now, but still love him, even if not romantically anymore.”

“How did you get here?” Bull asked.

“Don’t answer that.” Danica cut in again, rubbing her forehead and giving the three of them an exasperated look. “Leliana WILL be mad at you if she isn’t one of the first people told about how you got here and all that. You guys will find out eventually, just drop it for now.”

“Alright then,” Bull sighed. “I’ll wait until Red gives the go ahead then.”

“Red? Is that Leliana?”

“Yeah. That’s her nickname. Haven’t you ever had a nickname?”

Zero shook her head, then paused. “I guess? Zero is only last two numbers of full name. Does that count?”

In sync, the other three stopped to a halt, and Zero had to keep herself from running into Danica, who had turned to look at her.

“What, did I say something wrong?”

“What’s your full name?” Danica asked slowly, her carefully blank face confusing Zero even more.

“In your language would be Captain 027435800. It takes too long to say threaders full name and no one has patience to memorize full names so we go by last two numbers of our assigned name.”

“Your telling me Cero doesn’t mean ‘sky’ or ‘deer’ or reference some kind of flower?” Varric demanded.

“Yes?”

“Holy shit. That’s it, I’m going to find the best nickname for you and no one is ever allowed to call you anything else ever again.”

“Agreed.” Bull and Danica chimed in, starting back down the path.

“So what happens when two people have the same last two digits in their name?” Bull asked, not looking as off-put as the others about the revelation about her name.

 _Must be because he’s Qunari. Don’t they go by numbers until a certain age? Then they get proper names or something like that_.

“They usually not put in the same place, but it happens so when it does, qualifier is given. Like if there was another Zero when I was threader, I’d be Zero Green or Zero Black depending on what the other Zero looked like. If I was Captain and they were a threader, wouldn’t matter because Captain is qualifier.”

The rest of the walk back to Haven was quiet. Leliana and Solas were standing at the gates, waiting for their return patiently. Leliana didn’t look too happy, but she didn’t look angry either, which Zero took as a good sign.

As they walked up, she decided to get it over with.

“Now that the danger taken care of, can answer the questions you have. Learned enough that I can speak better than when we last saw each other.” Zero smiled tentatively.

If her willingness to speak shocked the Leliana, it didn’t show as she nodded.

 _But then again, she’s spymaster now. She’s not the same lay sister I studied with the Hero. As much as I know about those people, I don’t actually_ know _them. Ten years have passed since the Hero; things are different and I have to remember that_.

“All right then. You, Danica, and I will meet with the other advisors to tell us what we’d like to know.” Leliana smiled pleasantly, but the words were sharp and the veiled threat of ‘or else’ hung unsaid.

Still, Zero nodded. “Of course.”

Bull patted her back as he passed, sending her stumbling forwards. “Take it easy, okay? I’ll see you around, maybe.”

“What he said. Don’t push yourself too hard, Blackjack.” Varric patted her hand as he too passed.

“Blackjack?” Her lips twitched to a small grin. “That’s the nickname you’ve given me maybe?”

“It’s on a trial basis right now, but I’m not calling you Cero now that I know what it means.” He blanched and she giggled. “We’ll call you Jack for short.”

“I like it.” Danica announced. “It’s what we’ll be calling you from now on.”

“Blackjack.” Zero tried out the new name. “I like it too. Thanks Varric.”

He smiled at her and walked back to his spot near his campfire and tent. Leliana and Danica headed back to the Chantry, Zero trailing after them in thought.

_Blackjack, huh? I can get behind that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short :( I wanted it to be a little longer but the next stopping point is at the end of next chapter. Good news though, next chapter is like 3000 words!
> 
> As always, thanks so much for all your support! I feel bad that we're still so early in the story, so I'm going to start recommending other fics that are much further than mine are!
> 
> This week I'm recommending Lyrium's Bane by therutherfordwife. I've fallen in love with Ilaria and you might just see Ilaria here and Jack (as she's now going to be called) in LB!
> 
> If you have any fics you wanna suggest pm me on tumblr (@JDtheNinja) or drop a link in the comments!! I'm always game for new fics!!!
> 
> Thanks  
> -Jade


	5. Hello Jack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets down to the nitty gritty of what she knows and what the hell's going on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length: 3,008
> 
> Words in Jack's Language and her thoughts are in italics
> 
> Zero is dead kids, and Jack has risen from the ashes.

Once they reached the Chantry, Jack was pleasantly surprised that Leliana did not lead them back to her cell like she expected. Rather they went to the very back of the Chantry where she remembered the War Room was stationed.

There were only two other people in the room; a woman in a blue and gold dress, who she vaguely recognized as Josephine Montilyet, and a man she immediately recognized as Knight-Captain Cullen Rutherford.

 _Former_ Knight-Captain, rather, as he was now commander of the Inquisition’s army and had left the Templar order. He looked much better from his days in Kinloch Hold and Kirkwall, but he still looked rather tired. And wary. Specifically, of her.

They were all staring at her, so Jack broke the silence as Leliana shut the door with a hard click. “Alright, what you want to know?”

“Who are you, and why are you here?” Leliana asked as she walked around the other side of the table to face her and Danica with Josephine and Cullen.

 _Three against two-ish I see_.

“My full title is Threader Captain 027435800, but am called Captain Zero. Varric and Danica have renamed me ‘Blackjack’ or ‘Jack’. But I do not think that what you asking? I not come here with purpose, I not know how happen either. Only know I cannot return now that guardians have left. Not here to harm. Have promised self to Danica and will help Inquisition in any way I can.”

“The men who were after you, they were guardians then? Why were they so keen on killing you?”

“Guardians are like Templars in my world. I was threader. Threaders are similar like mages, but no magic. Are historians of sorts. Record keepers. Watch a person’s history, their decisions and choices, and we analyze how they shape worlds’ history. Threaders not look at one history. Are millions of histories and threaders study until they are reassigned. Impossible to go through all of history. I studied Hero of Ferelden over ten years before reassignment to Champion of Kirkwall for more five years. I was reassigned to Inquisition not long ago before fall.”

“And they were after you because?”

“Because it is job to. When threader assimilate, meaning escape into thread world, guardians are sent after threader to kill them. After threader are killed, guardians return to my world and dispose of the thread the threader fell in. Doesn’t do anything to assimilated world, but erases problem from threader history.”

“So the… guardians are going to dispose of this worlds thread? And it won’t hurt us?” Josephine asked. “I’m not quite sure I understand what a thread is other than a world’s history. Is it a literal thread? Like a thread from clothes?”

“Thread just what we call it. Suppose analogy works well. More like record keeping. Think of thread as like tree. Start at base and every choice effects future splits off into branch. Every decision after splits off into another branch.  Can go on forever, but thread mostly ends with subject’s death or end of power. Each branch tip is full history and threaders just go up branch one at a time.”

“That sounds very… complicated.” Leliana told her, her eyes slightly narrowed.

“It is. And very long in time. Most of time, threaders voluntarily ask for reassignment to other thread. They begin to go mad from so many possibilities. Are general rules to thread-ing and if threader stays too long studying thread, rules start to change. ‘Everything is true until not’ is personal motto for me. Say something happens ten times, you are expect thing happen next time, but does not always happen. Thing throws you off and you begin to doubt everything you learn in past. Begin to go crazy.”

“So you’ve studied Thedas for fifteen years, what does that mean for us?” Cullen asked, leaning onto the War Table with both hands.

“Means that I have relative knowledge of future events. Was farther in the thread before I fell by at most three months. Means I can help you close the breach earlier and be more prepared for possible future events. I not know a lot, but what do know will most likely be great help. Danica first ‘Herald’ I study, so not know if changes good or bad or effect on future. Will help anyway. Wish could be of more. Wish knew entire story and not part. Wish knew how things all play out.”

“So you know the future-“ Jack coughed slightly and Leliana rolled her eyes. “-or rather the possibilities of the future?”

“Know the choices I saw in the thread up to not long after close of breach. Not where your journey ends, I’m afraid. After you close breach, person who created it comes to Haven to attack you. Not exactly dure how far into timeline I fell, but have upcoming choice: Templars or Mages. After choice, you free to close breach, and as far as I know, either choice will close breach. Other choice not chosen will close off contact however. Pretty sure is fixed point.”

“And you’ve seen this possibility?” Danica asked beside her, looking kind of pale.

“Yes. Things are not set in stone though. Many things can change. Besides few things, don’t think many fixed points.” Jack soothed.

“What exactly are fixed points?” Josephine asked.

“Cause of threader insanity, usually. Are point in time that always happens until not. Still confusing no? Example: Ostagar always falls when Loghain McTir retreats. Always happens. In many, many threads I study only one time I see not happen. That a fixed point. The fifth blight is fixed point, the arch-demon slain fixed, although who slay dragon matter not. Kirkwall always falls,” Jack glanced at Cullen before looking at Danica. “Temple always explodes.”

There was a brief silence between the four as glanced at each other, then Leliana spoke. “You say you know a possibility of our future. Alright, then what do you know?”

“You contacted Mother Giselle in Hinterlands yes? Thought saw her out in Chanty. Before too far into story, must tell you involvement from me will change what know. Presence here changes how things play out. Will not be same.” Jack took a deep breath.

“Mother Giselle. She recommend you speak to Chantry members in Val Royeaux, yes? You go try convince the Chantry you doing good as the Inquisition, however you declared heretics and denounced by mother upon arriving. Lord Seeker Lucius there too, and responds with violence to mother. Not for the Inquisition’s sake. Lord Seeker commands Templars to leave Val Royeaux and denounces Chantry, refusing alliance with the Inquisition. Will return to Therinfal Redoubt. Lord Seeker not as once was, however not know what wrong.”

“That’s outrageous.” Jack heard Cullen mutter. She didn’t acknowledge him.

“After arrival in Val Royeaux, you receive invitation to party hosted by Madame de Fer in salon. At party angry marquis will attempt to cause fight. Madame de Fer will stop before can happen. Will offer to join Inquisition as wants to return to orderly days. Also in Val Royeaux, you have chance to meet a Red Jenny named Sera. She want to join too, wants to make sure Inquisition remembers little people not just important ones. Both have strengths and weaknesses, and could be good companions, despite own agendas.”

“And what do you think of the those two? Personally.” Josephine offers a tentative smile.

“Sera means well and stands for little people who get looked over. She does odd things and isn’t particularly serious about much, but she wants to help and is great with bow. Both want normality. Madame de Fer is very formidable lady and very skilled. Is force of nature. Feel she is not true reflect of feelings in majority of mages over circles however. Stability is good. Last ten years have not been working lately. Mages feel trapped and prisoners. Feel circles is gilded cage. She not see mages stride only own. She want to reinstate the circles. If know anything, I know history repeats self. Nothing will change if that is case.”

“And after Val Royeaux?” Cullen’s face was rather pale, but his voice was strong. “What happens then?”

“Fortunately, you not have choose immediately who supporting.” She directed this at Danica. “Can wait for relative stability. Herald saw chose the mages’ side in conflict. Don’t want to say too much about what saw. Will tell eventually, but want you to make own decision. Will tell after choosing. Choice should come from personal belief, not because I know potential outcome. Choose what cause speaks to you. Either will close breach.”

“That’s good then, right?” Danica spoke up, sounding relieved.

“Er… Not exactly. You close breach, yes, but person who created comes for you. Calls self ‘Elder One’, is angry after you close breach. In thread, he came with Templars infected with Red Lyrium.” Jack paused as a shutter ran through her. “Would take guess to say if you chose Templars, would be facing Red Lyrium infected mages during attack. In attack, you learn true name is Corypheus. Is someone Champion and Varric have already fought and killed. Killed dead, in fact. Am unsure how survived, but stop at nothing for Danica. Wants to see world burn.”

“How does he return? What has given him such a terrible power?” Leliana asked, her eyes blazing with passion.

Jack frowned and shook her head sadly. “Don’t know answers to questions. Only so much I saw. Am running on limited information, many things I don’t know as not have finished thread. Never even finished first thread. Any information have, only partial knowledge. If had gone through entire thread, maybe more answers but would take many threads and years to have full answer.”

“Back to the attack on Haven,” Cullen redirected. “You said Haven was attacked, but it cannot survive such a thing and still stand. Do we fall with it?”

“Attack comes from nowhere, with no knowledge of fore coming. Many people die. Hope by telling information that we can change outcome. Can save many people. Start by moving townspeople and those who not fight out of way. Corypheus will come no matter what. Attack is fixed point, any attempt to stall or avoid will backfire. Many more might die than I see if try to get around. All can do for now is prepare to move innocent out of way.”

“In the thread, how do we survive?”

“As lays dying from fight, Chancellor Rodrick remembers path out back of Haven. Is only one who knows about it. All others made summer pilgrimage died in explosion of Sacred Temple. Once knowledge comes to light, people take pilgrimage away from fight. Everyone left alive evacuates Haven, Herald is fight to turn trebuchets to mountain and bury Corypheus’ army in snow. Signal is given that all are out except Herald. Distracts Corypheus then fires trebuchets burying army and Haven in snow.”

“I die, don’t I?” Danica whispered, choking on her breath.

Jack squeezed her limp hand. “No. Survive by miracle. Don’t want to say much for fear of change, but survive. Meet up with Inquisition during night and survive.”

“Where do we go?” Josephine whispered into the following silence. “We do not have many benefactors currently and our influence does not spread very wide thus far. What do we do?”

Jack pointed at the war table’s map. “Is old fortress north of Haven. In thread, Solas comes across fortress in dreams of Fade, he directs remaining Inquisition to fortress. Is called Skyhold and has been abandon for long time now. Has fallen into disrepair, but with some time can prove great purpose for Inquisition. You make a new home there. Sadly, is most I know. Not long after watching Inquisition settle in, found myself waking in cell. After arrival in Skyhold, no more knowledge I have.”

“You do realize this sound completely and utterly unbelievable right?” Cullen asked her, face still very pale. All their faces looked rather pale, in fact.

Despite the tense situation, Jack raised an eyebrow. “More unbelievable than giant green hole in sky? Demons raining through breach? Someone surviving explosion that killed all others?”

“Point taken.”

There was silence as the other four looked at each other, then at Jack, then back at each other.

Finally, Leliana spoke. “How can we trust what you’re saying? You’ve given us a lot of information, but how do we know what you’re saying is true?”

Jack nodded. “Understandable. I not done anything bad since arrived, but no reason to trust either. However, I given you information can easily confirm. Talk to Chancellor Rodrick about pilgrimage. Go to Val Royeaux and see if everything happens as said; not been here long enough to change that, at least. Meet Sera and Vivienne, make choice if want to join. Talk about choices with the mages and Templars and I give you more information after decision on who want to choose. If want more questions answered, will gladly help or tell if can. Some questions I keep because not my secret to tell. I keep everyone secret. All but own. Will answer any question on me.”

“I only have one last question for today.” Leliana said, stepping forward to where her face shown in the dim light. “You studied the Heroes for ten or so years, so you say. What was something I said to the Hero in confidence? Something no one else would know?”

Jack scrunched her face together. “All blends together at some point All blends together at some point. Do not know specific conversation might have had. Many Leliana’s talk about childhood though. Talk about sweet orange, lavender, mother’s grey linen dress, Marjolaine, and Lady Cecilie. Allora took you to Denerim. You spared her.”

Leliana’s face cracked in surprise and pain, but quickly returned to her blank, if not outwardly pleasant, expression. She nodded and stepped back into the shadows.

“I will talk to Chancellor Rodrick then.” Leliana gave a short bow to the others, then left the room.

“Any more questions?” Jack asked wearily.

Josephine shook her head and left, curtsying as she passed Jack and the Herald. Danica and Cullen remained, Danica helping Jack to her feet while Cullen shuffled behind the war table.

“You… You studied the Hero and Hawke, does that mean…?”

She smiled sadly at him. “Yes. Not worry, Commander, you are good person. Many trials you overcome, are person of great duty and kindness, even if you not think.” Jack tried to put some of her weight on her bad leg, but she hissed in pain.

“I’ll let you go; any questions I have can wait. Danica, would you take her to the healers, please?” Cullen looked away from the girls, choosing to examine the war table instead.

“C’mon Jack.” Danica wrapped her arms around Jack’s waist. “We’ll get Solas to look at your leg for you.”

To say that Jack was pleasantly surprised she wasn’t immediately chucked back in her prison cell was an understatement. She had expected blatant distrust and hesitant acceptance only after the things she had warned them of had come to pass.

Well, not that this was so much trust as hesitance and waiting for proof.

However, her surprise only grew when Danica led her to a nice little cottage near the Chantry and the tavern. It was very quaint, one room with separating rooms, two windows on either side of the door. The cottage was homely and Jack immediately loved it. A small bed was pushed against the opposite wall, there was a bookcase filled with tomes that Jack was sure she couldn’t read, a reading chair in the corner of the room.

“You’ll be staying here now.” Danica told her as she led her into the small room. “Solas will take care of your leg while I’m in Val Royeaux. I’ll be leaving in the morning it seems, now that we have your information. When Solas discharges you, there’s a soldier who is going to teach you how to fight while we’re away.”

“How long think Val Royeaux take get back?”

“A week or two at most.” Danica helped Jack onto the bed. “Three days there, eight days in the city to take care of everything, then three days back. I’m hoping to cut things short though. Hey Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“I really don’t want to believe what you told us, but I do. I feel you aren’t lying to us, and whatever happened earlier today only helped solidify that you aren’t from here. I just need you to swear to my face you haven’t lied to me.”

“I swear it. More stuff with mages, but not want to say anything until you make decision. Not want to influence decision. Must choose because you believe, not because I know.”

Danica nodded, seemingly more relieved with her promise. “I’ll hold you to your promise. Do me a favor and don’t mention anything we talked about in the war room to anyone who wasn’t there. I mean no body, not even Solas. I need some time to think about what you’ve told me.”

“Of course. Will say nothing outside of Josephine, Leliana, and Cullen. Said you leaving to Val Royeaux tomorrow? Have fun in city. Be good.”

She smiled softly. “I’ll send in Solas for your leg and try to introduce you to that soldier before I leave tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

As Danica shut the door behind her, Jack flopped back onto her nice new bed. She felt like a boneless blob from all the excitement of the day as she shucked off her shoes and curled into a ball on the bed. She was completely drained of all emotion and the setting of the sun left her eyelids closing in on themselves. She briefly tried fighting the sleep that came to claim her, but the haze of sleep covered her like a warm blanket and she succumbed to the feeling.

_I’ll just close my eyes for one minute, and when Solas comes in, I’ll get back up._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a long chapter, but whooooo! We're finally getting somewhere! Leave a comment about what you think! I always enjoy feedback :)
> 
> This week I'm recommending Keep to the Stars by MaryDragon. Really good read, especially if you like Cullen fics. If you have a fic to recommend hit me up, I'm always looking for new stuff :)
> 
> -Jade


	6. Learning's Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a two for one sale in the Fade - two encounters for the price of one night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length: 2,481  
> Italics: Jack's Language / Thoughts

When Jack awoke, there was still a little light that showed through the window, but for the most part it was dark grey out. She moved her leg slightly, and looking, down saw her leg was wrapped with bandages. She groaned and groggily pushed herself into a sitting position, blearily wiping at her eyes. Someone had tucked a warm quilt around her while she had slept. It smelt like warm apples.

“Don’t get up.”

Jack froze, her breath caught in her throat, heart pounding too hard as adrenaline overtook her.

“No, no, no!” The voice soothed. “It’s okay Cero! It’s just me, Solas.” He moved in front of her, face concerned as she gasped for air.

The air rushed into her lungs in a rushed _whoosh_ of air. She rubbed her chest, willing her heart to slow back down. “ _Jesus Christ, Solas, what the fuck_?”

“I’m very sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I only didn’t want you to get onto your leg just yet.”

Jack sighed. “ _Where the_ _hell_ you come from?”

She needed to get someone to teach her this world's swears. Her language wasn’t going to get across how strongly she felt, apparently. Varric is probably the person to talk to about that. Or The Iron Bull maybe. He seemed like the kind of person who would teach her _several_ languages swears.

Solas raised a thin eyebrow and pointed slightly behind her. “In the chair behind you. I’ve been reading and occasionally checking on your leg to see how you’re doing. You’ve healed much quicker than I expected.”

“Thanks for healing.” Jack took in another deep breath and released, her tension leaving on the exhale. “Danica stop by? She supposed to introduce me trainer before leaving for Val Royeaux.”

“Ah. Yes, she did but she didn’t want to wake you. You might be able to catch her before she leaves tomorrow morning. I think she will ask Leliana to introduce you to Tevin, your new trainer, tomorrow.”

“Perfect.” She muttered.

Solas raised an eyebrow. “You do not like the Lady Nightingale? Or is it the training you object to?”

“Hm? Oh, no, nothing like that. Know that Leliana not trust me. Is tiring to double think words so not to be stabbed by spymaster. No doubt she think I problem, I find knife in gut and being questioned. Not objecting to training. Needing training if want to protect self. Not wanting to be liability or deadweight.”

“Your right, that does sound rather tiring with Leliana, however you are doing very good so far. I’m sure you’ll do fine with training too.”

Jack chuckled. “Thank you. Feel like I not saying right words most time, but am glad as I doing so well. Hope to speaking whole sentences soon. Want not to butcher language.”

Against her will, she yawned. Solas gave a small smile and patted her head. “Go back to sleep, Cero. I will check on your leg tomorrow. Rest for now.”

“Are calling me Jack now.” She murmured as she lay back down. “They found out what full name means and not calling me Zero anymore.”

Solas looked at her curiously. “Alright. Goodnight then Jack.”

“Goodnight.”

 

* * *

 

She was in the fade again.

However, she was not in the Luminary like last time. This time she was lying on top of a large golden bed with luxurious red silken sheets. Pushing herself onto her elbows, she also found she was completely naked.

Squawking indignantly, Jack jumped up from the bed, ripping the top sheet from the set, and wrapped it around her body like a makeshift toga. She had just finished tying the sheet in place when a hand brushed against the back of her bared shoulder.

Jumping away from the hand and shrieking, Jack turned and was met with the image of Thirteen.

He stood behind her in only dark sweatpants from their world. A sultry smile was pasted on his face, his body soft and inviting, but also hard and rugged. His brown hair was longer than this morning, like it’d been back when they were together in the barracks of the Barrier. It was tousled delightfully, his honey eyes shining with a strange emotion behind the locks that fell in his face.

Jack hesitated for a second, forgetting it was a dream and he was gone forever. The image of Thirteen grabbed her hips, pulling her flush against his body which broke her thoughts. It was a rather good likeness of Thirteen, but the _eyes,_ the eyes were off in a way that set her teeth on edge. He’d never looked at her like that before, the maddening glint in that thing’s eye felt _wrong_.

“Hello love.” The thing spoke with the exact replica of Thirteen’s low timbre, it’s eyes flashing. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“No.” Jack snapped, struggling to get out of the thing’s grasp while keeping the red sheet covering her. “No, I’m not because you aren’t Thirteen.”

The thing pouted as she finally broke away. She ripped herself from its grip, stumbling, but managing to stay upright. Keeping an eye on the creature, she readjusted the sheet over her lady bits.

“What gave it away?” It asked, Thirteen’s features and body fading to the form of a desire demon.

The purple woman wasn’t any less off-putting than Thirteen’s stolen form. Dark purple energy swirled around its head, long horns swirling around its face. Her body left little to the imagination, and a thought flitted in the back of Jack’s head to offer her another sheet off of the round bed.

Still, Jack scoffed. “Besides the fact the other-world and the fade are in no form connected? Besides the fact that any way he might have contacted me has been destroyed by now? He’s got a patch of freckles over his stomach that shape out a star. Now, what do you want?”

The demon laughed. “It is not what I want, but what you want. What is it you desire, little Zero?”

She ignored the demon, searching for a way away from here. “I desire nothing from you. I want knowledge but I can acquire that on my own. Now how do I get out of here?”

The demon smiled. “You can’t leave, I’m afraid. I control this dream space, and I do not wish for you to leave just yet.”

She imagined a door on the wall behind the demon. Surprisingly, a door shimmered into existence; tall, dark, and wooden. More importantly, it looked like a solid way out.

“Well I do.” Jack made a break for it, dodging past the demon for the door.

It watched her with boredom until it too caught sight of the door, it’s eyes widening dramatically and started after her.

“No, no, no! Wait!”

Jack slammed the door in its face, locking it behind her. She smiled to herself as soft thumps echoed from the other side of the door and laughed mockingly. Demonic screeching was muffled by the door as she turned away from the demon’s domain.

Examining the new terrain, she was met with a tall forest bathed in greens and browns. The branches of the trees curled together above her head like a thatched roof, bits of sunlight poking through the holes in the weave. Several different species of birds – were there fade birds? – sang in harmony as she walked down the tree-lined path. The red silk from the desire demon’s dream space dragged on the dirt floor, but didn’t snag on any roots as she walked.

This fade was peaceful. The fade from the Heroes and Champions views were much scarier and off-putting, but Jack supposed that was because they had not good experiences with the Fade. Admittedly, her own experience in the fade so far hadn’t been as peaceful as it was now.

She much rather enjoyed this version of the fade, where she was free to explore on her own, not being questioned by six-eyed wolves or seduced (badly at that) by Desire demons.

After a while of walking and listening to the avian symphony, Jack stumbled upon a small clearing. Large bookcases reached into the sky, filled with thousands upon thousands of books. Grinning, she ran to the nearest bookcase and started browsing the spines.

“I can help you. Would you like some assistance?”

For the third time that night, Jack jumped and shrieked. She landed partially on the bookcase, but it did not move, and it felt as if she’d run into a brick wall.

“Fucking Christ.” She muttered, rubbing her chest. “Does no one in Thedas know about announcing themselves? I’m going to have a heart attack at some point if this doesn’t stop.”

Turning to the interrupter, Jack was met with a spirit. “Oh. I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting a spirit. My apologies.”

“You thought I was another demon.” The spirit smiled at her. “Do not worry, I am not insulted. I am the spirit of Learning. I felt you enter my dream space and was curious.”

“Fantastic.” She grinned, not at all disturbed about Learning. The aura of this spirit was welcoming, at least. “I was looking for you then. Would you be kind enough to help me? I am from another world and would like to know about the world I am currently in. If you would teach me I would be very grateful to you.”

“Of course.” The spirit dipped its head and gestured for her to sit. “Where would you like to begin?”

“Where ever you would like to start. I want to learn as much as I can.”

“As you wish. We shall start with the Elvhenan and Ancient Arlathan. There were nine gods that were worshiped back then…”

Time in the fade felt longer than the normal passage of time. Learning taught Jack much about the ancient elves and Arlathan. It was interesting stuff, and she spent every second there, sitting on the ground in her red silk sheet, listening with rapt attention. Learning certainly knew how to make the stories interesting. All too soon though, Jack felt the waking world calling to her.

Learning paused in the middle of a story between Fen’Harel and Andruil. “I am afraid our lesson will have to continue another time. It is time for you to return to the waking world. We will resume this another time, if you so wish.”

“Yes, please! Thank you very much for the lesson, I look forward to hearing the rest of it. I’ll see you another time then.”

“As you wish, _Isenathe’amelan_.”

“Wait, what did you-“

 

* * *

 

Jack’s eyes popped open.

The murky grey of pre-dawn loomed outside the cottage window, but it was light enough that she could see around the room. Solas was still there, in a chair in the corner, a book abandon in his lap, turned to where he wouldn’t lose the page he was on. His hands were laced together, his face cleared; he was the picture of peaceful.

She quietly moved on the bed, moving the quilt off her legs to examine her leg herself. Solas must have changed her bandages again before he went to sleep, because they felt lighter than the ones she’d had on last night. She didn’t want to risk messing with the bandages and potentially messing with Solas’ work, so she threw the covers back over herself and started stretching her arms and upper torso.

There wasn’t much else to do after she was done, so she started singing to herself.

In the barrier, one had a fair amount of free time to themselves. Most threaders spent their time playing card games, drinking, or sex to whittle away the time. She did too, only she much preferred to do those things when they included the Information Exchange.

The Information Exchange was a common currency among Lieutenants, Captains, and even Commanders. While Information Exchange was heavily discouraged among lower threaders, it wasn’t prevented in the upper districts. In fact, when Jack was still in the Barrier, she met with several different captains a week for Information.

Captain Canary (as she preferred to be called in private), from the Ocean division, exchanged songs from her world for others. Canary had particularly liked songs from Thedas, so Jack had always made sure to have an extra song on hand if she could, although poetry worked too. In return, she got songs that Canary had traded for and stories from different districts. Captain Thirty from Mountain Division wanted political gossip and faction divisions and exchanged nobility training and stories from upper classes.

The Information Exchange was how she met Thirteen. He’d been interested in military and after the first six months of the start of their exchange, his returns shifted from stories of heroes and history to kisses and physical returns.

But she didn’t want to think to Thirteen now, so she started humming song after song until she got to the ones she knew the words by heart. Canary’s favorites that she’d beaten into Jack’s head. She was halfway through the darker melody that Canary loved the most when she was interrupted. Yet again.

“Is that a song from your world?”

“ _Holy Fuck!_ ” Jack popped into a sitting position, choking on her tongue.

She coughed for a minute while Solas sat smugly grinning in the reading chair.

“ _Christ on a stick, what the hell do people here have against warnings_?” She rubbed her chest as Solas smiled blankly at her. She sighed. “You entertained, I hope?”

“I was. Very. I’ve not heard any songs like that before, I assume it is from your world?”

She shrugged. “Wouldn’t think so. Threaders not know anything from outside world. We raised in Barrier from young age. Was taught songs from another Captain, who think learned it from either her thread world or other Captain.”

“What is the song about?”

“War and fighting for light.” She started to sing it for him, knowing he couldn’t understand the words, but enjoying speaking her native language.

_Something’s coming_

_Something’s on its way._

_Mountains are crumbling,_

_Like statues of clay,_

_Something’s on its way._

_Into the darkness – we are one_

_Into the darkness – we all must run_

_Into the darkness – we’ll burn a light_

_Into the darkness – we all must fight, we all must fight_

“That is an interesting song.” He commented when she was finished. “May I ask why you were singing it though?”

“It popped into head. Was one of Canary’s favorite songs singing, so it one of ones whose lyrics I know in heart. She had beautiful voice, she would have done more justice.”

“You were good nonetheless. I would ask more questions, however Leliana wanted to see you thing morning and you may be able to catch Danica before she leaves for Val Royeaux if you hurry.

“After you then.” Jack gestured to her leg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much happened this chapter but slow and steady wins the race! As always, leave a comment, like, favorite, all that jazz. Hit me up with your own recommendation if you've found something good!
> 
> This weeks recommendation is The Tranquility of Faith by JorieSilver on FF.net! Lots of drama and comfort and it's a Cullen fic featuring a non-warden Surana! Here's the link if you wanna check it out https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11084066/1/The-Tranquility-of-Faith
> 
> Thanks for all the support! (Please tell me what you think so far!!!!)
> 
> -Jade
> 
>  
> 
> Update: 11/28 There will be no update for 11/29/2016 as I am at the ass end of my semester and everything's going to shit. I'm way too overloaded from my 5 classes to post. I'm very sorry and I'll update as soon as I can.


	7. Tevin's Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets de-squishy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length - 2,585  
> Jack's thoughts are in italics

Once Solas had deemed her well enough to walk on her leg, they made their way toward the Chantry. While they walked, Jack went over her lesson in the fade in her head. When she reached the end of the dream, she remembered the elven word Learning had called her.

“Solas? You know what _Isenathe’amelan_ mean?”

“Where did you hear that?” He stopped near the edge of her cottage, the outlines of several people standing at the curve of the Chantry doors.

“I heard it in dream.”

“Hmmm.” Solas’ face was unreadable, but his eyes shined with the same glint everyone had when they were analyzing her. “It is elven for Dragon Keeper. Do you remember who said it?”

Jack didn’t know why, but she had a feeling this was something to keep to herself and Learning, so she shook her head and shrugged and they continued up the way. Danica, Leliana, Varric, and Cassandra were standing, bags packed and horses at the ready as the two sidled up to the group.

“G’morning Blackjack.” Varric greeted as they reached the group. “G’morning Chuckles. You come to say goodbye before we leave?”

“Something like that.” Jack smiled at the group. A memory from her threading wiggled into her head. “Oh! Just remembered something. Is merchant woman named Belle in Val Royeaux market. Would like to work for the Inquisition, provide food and supplies. If you talk to her, would be happy to join. Might be good contact.”

“I’ll remember that, thank you for telling us.” Danica smiled at her. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you to Tevin last night. You looked too peaceful to wake up. Leliana has offered to introduce you after we leave.”

“Thank you Sister Leliana.” Jack gave a small bow in her direction. “Very much appreciate help.”

“I’m sure it will be a pleasure for us both.” Leliana smiled in that sharp, predatory way. “I was hoping you would agree to more questioning before I do.”

It wasn’t completely unexpected.

“Of course. Have already agreed to answer questions you have. Am happy to help.”

“If this is all,” Cassandra cut in sharply. “We should leave immediately. Val Royeaux is a three days ride away. Herald, I expect you to explain who this woman is and what she is talking about on our way.”

Danica grimaced. “Yes, Cassandra. She is right, we need to leave now. Jack, Leliana, Solas; I’ll see you all in two weeks. We’ll talk when we get back.”

The group exchanged goodbyes and the three of them – Leliana, Jack, and Solas – watched as the other three made their way out of haven until they were going, going-

Gone.

When Jack turned her attention back to the other two, Solas and Leliana were having a silent staring contest. Finally, Solas stepped back, nodding his surrender and retreating to his cottage without a goodbye to either woman. Leliana turned to Jack, the glint in her eyes shining brightly.

It seemed everyone but Danica seemed to look at her like that – like she had something they wanted.

“Let us return to the war room so you may answer my questions in peace.”

Jack nodded in acquiesce and followed the redheaded woman into the Chantry. It was still rather early in the morning, so there were not many people up and awake yet. Once they were well situated in the war room, she was pleasantly surprised to find out she was not being interrogated further, but Leliana wanted to go over what she knew and had more questions on where she came from and what life in the Barrier was like.

By no means did Leliana trust her, that much she was certain, but there was a sense of ‘I will listen to what you have to say and defer my judgement for now and keep my blade sheathed’, which Jack greatly appreciated.

She very much appreciated not being stabbed.

Once Jack was done speaking about the Barrier, Leliana moved her onto what she had seen in the threads and more specifics on the attack on Haven. After they had both reviewed the information from the night before, Leliana brought up the one-part Jack had avoided in her story.

“I would like to know what you know about the mages.”

Jack grimaced. She didn’t want Danica to know to influence her decisions, but would it really hurt to tell _the Spymaster of the Inquisition_? “Alright. Will tell, but want you to promise not to speak about what I say until Danica chooses side. Do not want to influence her decision on topic with knowledge.”

Leliana nodded. “You will have my discretion.”

So Jack told her about the time travel, about Dorian and Alexius, and the awful future and knowledge that came from it. Empress Celene’s assassination, the Red Lyrium, the Elder One’s vengeance. The words filtered her lips in broken common and painted a truly horrifying future.

“I can see why you are adamant in saying nothing until her decision. I have a question, if you were to choose, who would you pick?”

“The mages. Now I am free of Barrier, would never go back. Feel how they feel.”

“I have decided you have not lied so far.” Leliana finally told her as the silence stretched after her admission. “I spoke to Chancellor Rodrick and confirmed the information about the path out of Haven. I have also reached out to some of my contacts in Val Royeaux and news of a hint of Lady Vivienne planning a party have just begun to recently spread. There was no way you could have known about it. I will check on Redcliffe and see what my people have to say on the matter. I _have_ heard rumors of the Grey Wardens disappearing around Thedas, however. Would you know anything about that? Is it something you have seen?”

“Yes and no. Don’t know why they are disappearing, but know they disappeared in thread I saw too. In thread, warden by name of Blackwall is in Hinterlands. Is currently spending time training farmers to fight bandits. Does not know that wardens have disappeared, but will join Inquisition if asked. Is up to you if he join.”

Leliana nodded. Jack had the distinct feeling she already knew that and that Leliana had been testing her. “How long did you say you had studied Thedas?”

“Nearly sixteen years. Was taken from birth parents at very young age. Do not remember much about them. From what know in Barrier, many parents given money in exchange of threader child. Are told children well taken care of and gifted. Do not know if they take money or offer me or I been forcibly taken. Not know much about world outside Barrier. No information from outside world.”

She felt a lump in her throat. Leliana gave her a minute, then Jack continued.

“In Barrier, received basic education until age of 10, where was pushed ahead of class and became threader two years before was supposed to. Told I was very smart and gifted. I studied different world other than Thedas for six months until mentor at time assimilated into thread studied together. I was reassigned to Thedas after guardians killed him. Spent next ten years as regular threader then was promoted to Lieutenant at age 21. Five years later, was promoted to Captain of units 300 to 350. Year and half later, found self here.”

“So you are 27 years old then? You do not look so old.”

Jack laughed and inclined her head. “Thank you, Sister Leliana. Very much appreciate kindness. Might be older though. Not certain of exact year or month born, only guessing. Lived very soft life as threader, but am willing to pull my weight to help Inquisition. Am excited to… harden self? Un-squishy? Toughen up. That right word.”

A genuine laugh made its way out of Leliana’s mouth and both women were startled by the sound for a second.

Clearing her throat, she continued her interrogation. “You mentioned you studied another world in your younger days as a threader. Do you know anything about that world that may help us?”

“Was long time ago. Not remember much. Know bits and pieces of many worlds, but do not think would be anything to help you here. In Barrier, everyone exchanges information on their world for information on other worlds. Know much, but like said, is bits and pieces, and nothing substantial. Are mostly songs, stories, heroes, politics, and culture that are traded.”

“I see.” Leliana stood. “I have taken much of your time, Lady Jack. Thank you for the information, I will take you to Tevin now.”

“Was no problem, Sister Leliana. Am happy to answer questions you, Danica, or other advisors have for me.”

“I must ask you not to speak about this to anyone else.”

“Danica already asked me as much, and I promised her will do so. Varric, The Iron Bull, and Solas know very little about story but otherwise not told others about self. I keep it that way, will keep my promise.”

Leliana nodded in acknowledgement, but otherwise was silent as she led Jack through the now-bustling Chantry. Various sisters glanced at Leliana and Jack as they walked through and flitted to one another murmuring as they watched the two leave to the outside.

The two passed the outside gates to the training ground. Jack waved at Iron Bull as they passed and the large man stopped talking to a brown haired human man long enough to wave back at Jack. When they reached the fighting soldiers, Leliana made a beeline for Commander Cullen.

“Hello Sister Leliana, Lady Jack.” He greeted as they entered his vision.

“Commander Cullen. We are here to borrow Tevin Assani for the next few weeks. Lady Jack is in need of training, and the Herald has asked that she receive it so that she is able to defend herself in the future.”

Cullen glanced at Jack before retraining his eyes on the soldiers. “And she is not to join the other soldiers, I presume?”

“No. The Herald wants her to work independently until we find a place for her in her personal guard.”

Jack looked at Leliana in surprise, but said nothing.

“Yes,” Cullen sighed. “She did warn me of this last night. Tevin is a good soldier, Lady Jack, please do not break him.” He flagged down a nearby scout. “Go get Tevin Assani for me.”

“I will do my best not to break him, Commander.” Jack examined his face closely.

Why would he need to warn her not to break someone who was teaching her to become stronger?

_Isn’t that counter-intuitive?_

Despite her thoughts, Jack made no comments on the matter. Instead, she and the other two advisers watched as the scout darted through sparing soldiers to stand in front of a soldier with shockingly white hair pulled into a low ponytail. The soldier sheathed his sword and nodded as the scout pointed at the three of them. He slapped the partner he had been training with on the shoulder, then trekked up the hill to meet them.

As he drew nearer, Jack was stunned at how similar he looked to Fenris. If Fenris ever smiled, that is. His hair was longer, true, but it was just as brilliantly white. The soldier, _Tevin_ , was smiling, and it made all the difference in contrasting the two. Tevin didn’t have any vallaslin or other markings, but his face held kindness and a softness she’d never seen from Fenris. Tevin’s eyes were a dark forest green and he had a scar that sat horizontally below his left eye and ran to his nose. All in all, he was very good looking.

As he reached them, he briefly saluted the three of them with a clenched hand to his heart.

“Tevin, this is Lady Jack.” Cullen waved his salute off as he introduced Tevin to Jack. “I hear you informally met last night, but now she is awake and ready to train. She has hurt her leg last night so for the next few days’ start training her on bows. You can work your way up from there. Her training hours are from sunrise to evening bell. You’re in charge of her training, so everything is at your discretion.”

Tevin threw an easy smile her way. “We’ll start with the basics today, and we can work from there, like the Commander said. Do you have any experience with weapons?”

Jack shook her head. “None. Is first time training.”

“Perfect! A blank slate! I’ll get to your training immediately then. Commander, Lady Nightingale.” Tevin bowed to both advisors then gestured for Jack to follow him.

Jack offered quick goodbyes to the spymaster and commander, then followed Tevin to a currently unused part of the training field. He quickly loaded her up with a bow and dozens of blunted arrows for practice.

If Jack thought she’d pick up archery quickly, she was dead wrong. In forty shots, she made the outer rim about five times. All the others went clear over the board and she’d had to run into the forest behind the target and find the other thirty-five arrows that had fled into oblivion.

After the fortieth shot, Jack had turned to Tevin and sighed, discouraged. “Knew would take while to become good, but didn’t think would be this bad.”

Tevin chuckled. “Everything takes practice, Lady Jack. Nothing good comes easily, it takes hard work and dedication to build strength. Try aiming lower and more to the right. Bring your elbow higher up. Now, try again.”

She didn’t hit a bullseye or anywhere closer to that area, but after then, most all of her shots landed on the bale of hay painted as a target. Tevin offered some more commentary and suggestions, but mostly let her correct herself.

By the time the dinner bell rang, Jack was drenched in sweat and her arms were sore as hell.

“You did very good for your first time with a bow. We’ll keep with this for the rest of this week, then I’ll start you on daggers and swords. I’ll see you tomorrow at dawn.”

She bowed to the white haired elf. “Thank you very much for help. Will be here at dawn.”

They exchanged pleasantries before parting ways. Jack was looking forwards to changing her clothes and cleaning up. She trudged back to her cottage without being stopped by anyone and found a bucket of water sitting on the dresser in the corner of her room. It was cold, but it served her purpose well and soon she had changed from her sweaty armor to a thin cotton shirt and breeches.

She slipped back out of her cabin and strode over to Solas’ cottage, diagonal from hers. Hesitating only for a minute she knocked on the door and he opened the door not long after her knocks.

“Jack.” A brief look of surprise flashed across his face but it was quickly schooled. “How can I help you?”

“If you not mind, would like to continue lesson in common. Still need better speaking. Would you help? Please?”

“Of course. The Herald has you training now, yes? What time are you free for lessons?”

“Now. Training from dawn to evening bell. Was able to get here and clean up between bell and now. You free during time?”

“Yes, that is amendable. Would you like to begin today?”

Jack grinned at the elven apostate. “Yes. Now is good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry there wasn't an update last week, but I wasn't able to sit down and get this chapter out then. This past week has been my finals week in college and I took 5 classes this past semester, so you can only imagine how hectic everything was.
> 
> That being said, I should be updating every week now on schedule and there should be no hiccups until at least early January when I start classes back up. I'm taking 5 classes that semester too bc I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm hoping to have finished this story by then and started on the other ones that currently float around my brain.
> 
> This week I'm recommending two stories to make up for last weeks disparity. The first is Blood Queen by WickedWitchoftheWilds and the second is Crossing Stars by the_queen_of_thedas! Both are mythology influenced pieces which is something I'm going to dabble with after I finish Jack's story. Super good reads, definitely recommend.
> 
> Thanks for reading and keeping with me! Leave a comment telling me what you think so far please!  
> -Jade


	8. A Mean RIght Hook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A kiss with a fist is better than none.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length - 3,497  
> Jack's thoughts are in italics  
> The last of Jack speaking in her own language should be in here. That is also in italics.  
> Also, Yay for correct grammar at last!!! It hurts me to write in broken english sometimes, it messes with my head in a weird way.

The first week while Danica was away, Jack fell into a solid routine of learning. She learned archery in the morning with her elven rogue teacher, Tevin guiding her how to make consistent shots and grouping.

During her lunch break, which usually consisted of thin soup but sometimes cheese, bread, or fruits, Leliana whisked her away to the war room, where the two exchanged information and made tentative plans over Redcliffe castle and Alexius, Jack’s knowledge on the Barrier, and even some memories Leliana had from her time with Warden Allora Tabris.

“What was Allora like?” Jack asked her at one point in their lunches. “You know I followed her story, but what was she like as a person?”

Leliana smiled, soft and sad, and gently put down her teacup. “Kind. Unnaturally kind, despite all the pain and suffering in her life. Witty. Quicker to tease Alistair than even Morrigan. A heart so large and a smile so bright it hurt us, her companions. I think it broke her heart when she realized that Ferelden needed a good king and Alistair was the only real candidate. She didn’t complain or cry that I saw, but when he left to become king, I believe it hurt her more than words ever could. She was a good friend though.”

Leliana wiped at her face and went back to interrogating Jack on the chain of command in the Barrier.

Jack pretended not to have noticed her tears.

After her lunch, she returned to Tevin to learn how to wield daggers and stealth lessons so she could hide if fighting got too tough. Dagger lessons were the dreaded part of her day, which was saying something as she also had daily interrogations from Lady Nightingale.

Tevin was of the mind that the best teaching was through physical learning. Which mean more than often, she was covered in bruises from Tevin hitting her with a wooden dagger of his own from not blocking him enough.

Personally, Jack thought he found immense amusement from her squawks of outrage whenever he got her hard.

After training however, when the bells rang signaling evening, she would trudge through the town and pick up a solitary dinner before cleaning up at her house and heading to Solas’ cottage for speech lessons. That first week of lessons did Jack a world of good.

She felt she now had an excellent grasp on the common tongue, and was no longer speaking in chopped sentences. After her fifth day of speaking lessons, Solas switched to reading and writing lessons at the behest of Sister Leliana, for some reason.

There were still certain words that tripped Jack up, but for the most part Jack was doing wonderfully in Haven. Her reading and writing skills were coming along slower than her speaking and fighting skills were, but she accounted that to her not being able to work on them as much as she was the others.

Solas had apparently even rounded Tevin into her speaking and literacy lessons.

Not that he did what Solas was asking for, of course. Tevin’s speaking lessons, given while he pounded her into the dirt, consisted of teaching her Thedas’ swears and insults. Although, he did give her spelling lessons during the calmer archery lessons. He would give her a word and she would spell it back while trying to concentrate on grouping her arrows in one place.

After Solas’ literacy lessons from evening to the early night, Jack would drag herself back to her cottage and climb into her bed, where she would meet Learning to learn about Thedas’ history. Her day was a blob of learning packed into a short day.

Still, she made good progress, and soon enough, Jack felt she was packed with knowledge.

* * *

 

It was the end of her first week, a full seven days after Danica had left, that Tevin rewarded her with a break. Jack had come leaps and bounds from her first stumbling attempts with a bow. She had just come back from lunch with Leliana, but instead of Tevin starting with daggers, he gave her the bow she used and told her to fire ten rounds.

It wasn’t perfect by any means, but she made all the shots into the ring closest to the bullseye, and what more, they were all grouped close together. Tevin slapped her on the shoulder and sent her stumbling forward.

“You’ve come a long way, Lady Jack. I think it’d be good if we take the rest of the day off. You’ve been hard at work between Lady Nightingale, Solas, and me, and you’re doing good work despite it all. Let’s go get a drink.”

Jack blinked. “I don’t have any money though.”

Tevin rolled his eyes. “Of course you do. You’ve been on payroll since your second day training with me. I asked Lady Montilyet to put you on after I heard how hard you’ve been working between me, Lady Nightingale, and Ser Solas. Payroll is every other week so you’ll see your money next week. Flissa will run a tab in the meantime.”

“I’m on payroll? You can do that?”

Tevin hid his smile. “Did no one tell you I’m a Captain? The only people I report to is Commander Cullen, the other advisors, and the Herald. Since the Herald has taken a personal interest in you, it was only a matter of time till you were on, so I just sped up the process. Your first drink’s on me.”

“Thank you then.” Jack gave a huge toothy grin to the other man. “I’ll certainly drink to that! Let me get cleaned up a bit and I’ll meet you in the tavern.”

He gave a mocking salute, and they both laughed while splitting off. She walked back to her cottage slowly, enjoying the cool breeze and not having to practice with daggers for the day. As she rounded the corner to the cottages, she saw Solas meditating in front of his house.

“Hey Solas. Good afternoon!”

“Jack, what a surprise. Are you not supposed to be training?” Solas climbed to his feet.

“Tevin’s given me the rest of the day off. He said I’d been working myself nonstop, so he let me go for today and is buying me a drink at the tavern.”

Solas nodded. “Yes, you are nothing if not dedicated to your studies. Take tonight off too with your academic studies. It will give you a chance to review all you’ve learned this last week.”

“Only if you insist. I wouldn’t want to overdo myself and waste everyone’s hard work with me after all.”

He nodded. “Very well, I will see you tomorrow then. Please do not forget all you have learned after one night off.”

Jack smiled. “No, I wouldn’t do that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Solas nodded goodbye and sat back down as Jack turned to her cottage and cleaned up.

Shrugging out of her armor, she pulled on the only casual clothing she had, which consisted of a thin white cotton shirt, dark breeches, and her only pair of leather boots. She didn’t bother washing her hair, only pausing to throw it into a loose bun before walking back out into the crisp air and making her way to the tavern.

Tevin was waiting in the back of the building, in the very corner of the room. He waved her over and soon enough, Flissa brought over some ale and food for them. It wasn’t very special, just some bread, cheese, and dried meat, and Jack wasn’t particularly fond of ale or beer, but she enjoyed spending time off and having someone to talk to.

He raised his cup to Jack’s as the barmaid walked away. “To your continued health and learning. Now let’s get drunk.”

Jack clinked her cup to his. “Cheers to that.”

They both threw back their drinks, and when Jack returned her eyes to Tevin, he looked contemplative. “I know I’m not supposed to ask about where you come from and all that, but what can you tell me about yourself? You seem like a nice enough girl, why the Inquisition?”

“Well,” Jack grinned. “Where I’m from, I’m was a Captain just like you are. I was in charge of some five-hundred or so people and the commander was combing me to take over his spot when he retired in ten years.”

Tevin blinked. “Ten years? Why that long? And if you were so good that he was training you, why are you here now?”

Jack’s grin faltered. “I didn’t exactly want to leave, but it’s for the best that I did. I can’t get into the whys so much, but I know I wouldn’t have been happy taking over his position. I didn’t really want to be Captain, but when you’re asked to ascend, you don’t say no if you want to keep your head.”

“And the ten years of training?”

“Commanders do a lot of work. There’s a lot of secrets they hold and every commander combs their chosen captain during the last ten years of their command. There’s a set amount of time that a commander can be in their position and you can’t go over or under unless your dead. Or you’ve really fucked up, but I’ve never heard of that happening.”

“There’s more than one commander? How does the chain of command work?”

Jack downed the rest of her ale, trying to keep the grimace off her face. “Alright. So, there are ten ‘soldiers’ in a unit, and every unit is headed by a Lieutenant. Every fifty units are called a district, and are headed by a Captain. There are two Captains to a division, and six divisions that make up the whole of the entire chain. There is one Commander to each division who work in a partnership with the other Commanders. They’re like a council, and the highest people in power.”

Tevin whistled. “That’s a lot of people. Why are there so many chain of commands?”

“It’s much easier to approach someone who works with you every day than someone who you see maybe twice a month, if ever. Lieutenants live with the soldiers and it’s easier for problems to be solved when you know there’s someone who can immediately help you. Captains hold several meetings through the week to meet with all the Lieutenants and go over any concerns they or the soldiers have. Captains usually sort out the problems, and if we can’t we go to the commander.”

“How many people are there?”

A breath of air huffed from her lips. “Ten people to a unit, fifty units is five-hundred people plus fifty lieutenants plus the Captain are five hundred and fifty-one people for one whole district. Times two for an entire division is one thousand, one hundred and three people including the commander in charge of the division. So for all six divisions, there are six thousand, six hundred, and eighteen people.”

Tevin’s mouth dropped open. “Holy shit. That’s a lot of people.”

Jack shrugged. “That’s only the people who _work_ where I lived. I call them soldiers, but they’re more like mages without the magic. There are also people like Templars and Chantry people without religion who watch over the ‘mages’. It’s… complicated.”

“I can see why. Gives me a headache just thinking about it.”

They both paused as Flissa came by to top off their drinks.

“What about you?” Jack asked as they were left alone once again. “What’s your story?”

Tevin cleared his throat. “Well, I lived in the Alienage in Denerium until the end of the Fifth Blight. None of my family survived the attack on the city so I left for Redcliffe to work as a laborer for the farms. They needed people to keep out the wolves and bears and bandits. When I heard about the conclave, I was one of the first people to volunteer for soldiering. I wasn’t a Captain until after the explosion of the Temple, but Cullen hasn’t had any complaints of me so far. Or if he has, it’s been nothing serious.”

“You must have known the Hero then, right? What was she like?”

He smiled to himself. “Very kind. Always was thinking of someone else and never herself. Loved her friends with all her heart, Maker rest her soul.”

They talked for hours. As the day shifted towards night, more people trekked into the tavern for drinks. She waved to The Iron Bull and his entourage when they walked in, and he briefly waved back as they settled into the opposite side of the building. Otherwise, Jack and Tevin’s conversation was blissfully uninterrupted.

Until a tall, blonde soldier with a scraggly beard swaggered up to their table.

“Excuse me, pretty lady, but if you’d like to have a good time, you’d be better off looking elsewhere.”

Jack turned to Tevin and raised her eyebrows in fake shock. “Really? But I’m having a plenty good time now. Are you not having a good time, Tevin?”

Tevin quickly hid his smile with his tankard.

The soldier’s bravado faltered, but he pressed on. “Maybe I’m not being clear, my apologies. If you’re looking for a fun night, your friend can’t deliver, if you catch my drift.”

“Maybe you aren’t ‘catching my drift’ that I’m fine. Thank you for the concern, but I’m not interested.” Jack gave him a wide, plastic smile then turned her back to him.

Someone from a nearby table, clearly eavesdropping, snickered. Tevin’s face was a little pale, but his ears were tinged red with embarrassment.

The soldier’s heavy hand fell on her shoulder. “Listen lady, the rabbit isn’t going to fuck you!”

The nearby tables hissed in outrage and Jack heard the sound of several scrapping chairs, but acting on half reflex, half rage, she threw off his hand, stood up, and sucker-punched him in the jaw. He fell backwards into the eavesdroppers at the unexpected blow, and there were short yells of shock before the tavern fell to complete silence.

The soldier’s nose was pouring blood, and he was staring at her in complete shock, eyes a little dazed – from the blow or alcohol, she didn’t know. Jack could feel the eyes of everyone in the tavern on her, but her unbridled rage was still fueling her.

“Listen you _bastard fuck_ ,” she growled, easily slipping back into her native language. “I’m not interested in having sex with you, so _take a hint shit for brains_. I ever hear that word come from your mouth, or anything like it, and I’ll _chop off your cock_ and shove it down your throat while I _watch you beg for mercy_. You ever touch me again, and you’ll wish that’s all I did. Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I need to see a man about my hand. Tevin, would you help me out please?”

Tevin stood and nodded without speaking. Jack took the time during the dead silence to slam back the last of her ale before stalking out into the night with a tense ‘I’ll pay for damages’ to Flissa. As soon as the door shut behind her and Tevin, the righteous fury left her.

“Ow.” She sighed and flexed her hand, covered in blood, as Tevin looked at her with a strange expression. “Fucker had a hard face.”

A surprised laugh bubbled out of his mouth. “Let me see.”

She held out her hand for him to examine in the dull light of the lantern outside the tavern doors. Beneath the blood, some of it hers and some of it his, she could see that she’d split the skin between her third and fourth knuckles. She’d probably get a cool scar from it.

Tevin prodded her middle knuckle and she hissed in pain.

“Well, you most likely fractured your knuckle. We’ll see if Ser elven apostate can help, or if you’ll need an actual healer.” He hesitated as they started to move towards Solas’ house. “Why’d you do it Jack?”

“What?”

“Why’d you punch him? Stick up for me?”

Jack frowned at Tevin’s hunched shoulders. “He’s an asshole, I wasn’t going to let him talk to either of us like that and ignoring him didn’t help after the first time. I know the connotation of ‘rabbit’ here. You didn’t deserve his treatment.”

“That doesn’t explain _why_ though.”

Jack sighed and rubbed her brow with her unhurt hand. “Listen Tevin, you’re a great teacher, but I also like to think of us as friends after this last week. I stick up for my friends. I’m sorry if I’ve assumed too much.”

Tevin smiled slightly and gestured for her to continue walking. “No, we’re friends. Thank you for defending my honor.” He stopped and swung into an over the top bow, but his smile faltered. “You should know that he was right in some fashion. I’m not interested in girls.”

Jack glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Okay? That’s good?”

“I like men.”

“Yes, I figured that much out, funnily enough. Why does that- OH!” Jack stumbled to a halt. “That’s not accepted here, is it? That’s why it’s such a big deal to you and why that jackass wouldn’t leave us alone.”

Tevin spluttered.

“Well, yes, no, you have to understand-!” He stopped and took a deep breath. “No one particularly cares who you get together with – male or female, but you’re usually expected to settle down with some girl and have children together and live happily ever after even if you don’t want to. It’s not prevented by any means – man and man, or woman and woman – but in most places it’s looked down upon if you don’t hide it.” Tevin grimaced. “Especially when you’re expected to get with an elven girl and make elven babies for the good of all pure elves or risk getting kicked out. Especially if the one you love isn’t elven. They expect you to ‘grow out of’ your feelings.”

“Huh.”

They started moving forward again. “Is it different where you’re from?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah. No one cares where you stick what as long as both people are consenting and it’s not in public. I’ve been on both of the spectrums really, my first love was a man, but he was reassigned and we ended the relationship. I also fell in love with a fellow Captain who was female, but she didn’t want a serious relationship with me, so we went back to being just friends. Relationships where I’m from are a lot like mages’ relationships here. You can have them and no one cares, but any children you have are taken away from you at their birth. Many people choose to get their reproductive organs removed because of it. I certainly did.”

“Excuse me?”

The two stumbled to a halt right outside Solas’ house, but Tevin was blocking the doorway, looking a little sick to his stomach.

Jack frowned. “Yeah. I couldn’t ever keep the children I might have conceived so there was no point in keeping my uterus in my opinion. Ascendancy in rank generally relies on what you’ve given up to get there. My first love gave me up to rise to Guardianship, I gave up my uterus for Captaincy. It was a win-win situation really.”

“Why didn’t you just run away then?”

“I wouldn’t have known how, when I was still there. Think of guardians as super-Templars with super-weapons. They’d kill me as soon as I looked at the door.”

“What happens if you want kids later?”

Jack gave Tevin a startled look. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about raising a child. But, hypothetically, if I did for some reason want children, I would find a child off the street who needs a parent. There’s plenty to go around. They wouldn’t need to physically be mine for me to love them I think.”

Tevin’s face shifted to curious. “Huh.

Behind him, Solas opened the door to his cottage, startling her trainer. He’d been clearly eavesdropping if his unwillingness to look Jack directly in the eyes was anything to go by.

The elven mage sighed. “Is there something I can help you with, Captain Tevin, Lady Jack?”

Jack grinned broadly at the man as Tevin slunk to the side of the doorway. “I got into a fist fight on accident. We were wondering if you know any healing spells?”

Solas blinked in surprise. “You? A fist fight? How did _that_ happen?”

Tevin snorted. “There would have to be more than one fist swinging to make it a fist fight. You about knocked him out with one punch. As for how it happened… There was a drunken soldier who said some… things to the both of us. Lady Jack was defending my honor.” He snorted again.

Solas raised an eyebrow. “I see. Well, come inside then. I’ll take a look at your hand.”

Sending a wide grin at both men, Jack walked into the wolf’s den.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo. I almost didn't post this today because I completely forgot it was Tuesday... School ended last week thank god, but now the days all blend together. Luckily I happened to look at my phone and saw what day it was. I need to set a reminder on my phone or something that will keep me on schedule.
> 
> My, my, Jack sure got angry didn't she! Tbh, it's not too far from something I did in highschool. Granted, there were no fists flying, but that's another story.
> 
> This week's recommendation is Dislocated Souls by LonelyAgain. 
> 
> HOT DAMN! If you're interested in a modern-character-in-Thedas where the main character kicks ass without actually kicking ass and civil rights for elves, THIS IS FOR YOU!!! I think I've read and reread the story 2 times and am on a 3rd now. They're split up into 2 stories, Haven and Skyhold and Skyhold is 133 chapters in. ITS SO GOOD HNNNNNGH
> 
> ANYWAYS let me know what you think and leave a like blah blah blah you know the drill.
> 
> Thanks for reading,  
> -Jade


	9. Don't Accept Apologies from Someone Who Just Sucker Punched You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The consequences of knocking someone out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length - 2,199  
> Jack's thoughts are in italics  
> Short Chapter, I know, sorry

Solas ran his glowing green hands over Jack’s own bloodied hand. Most the blood had dried during the short trip between the trip from the tavern to Solas’ house from Jack and Tevin’s infrequent stops for bonding time.

“You chipped your knuckles in a couple places, but nothing’s broken. You’re lucky it’s an easy fix. May I ask what started the fight?” Solas gave her a disapproving glance, but his lips twitched and his eyes flickered over to Tevin near the door.

Jack slightly inclined her head for his unasked question. “Just a guy who didn’t understand the meaning of ‘no’ and didn’t know when to shut his mouth. Couldn’t take a hint.”

Solas nodded and his mild mask slipped back on. “Well, your hand is completely healed. I would suggest no more fights for the night and to sleep the rest of the alcohol in your system off.”

“We still have practice at dawn tomorrow.” Tevin idly commented at the door, arms loosely crossed as he leaned against the wall. “And as Messere Solas has already said, your hand is healed, so no excuses.”

Jack sent a scowl in his direction. “Who exactly do you think I am that I would skip training?”

As she rose from the chair she’d been sitting in, Tevin rolled his eyes and waved goodbye. “I’ll see you in the morning. Thanks again Messere Solas.”

“He’s right.” Jack smiled at Solas as Tevin slipped out into the night. “Thank you very much for healing my hand. You do good work, Solas.”

“Let’s not make a habit of it shall we.”

She rolled her eyes. “It really was probably a one-time thing.”

“I have a question, before you go.”

“Hm? Yes?”

“I heard your conversation with Captain Tevin outside of the cottage earlier. Can I ask why you would give up your ability to have children for Captaincy where you were from?”

Jack’s half smile fell for a second. She had honestly believed that neither of the elven men who had heard that conversation would ever want to speak on it again. Men tended to go squeamish whenever women’s reproductive organs and their functions popped up in conversation unless they were the ones to bring up the subject. Usually in a derogatory manner.

“Alright. Well it wasn’t really for captaincy. Kind of. Captaincy was a bonus; spite was the main reason. I resented that if I were to choose to have a child with someone I loved, those in charge would take my child and I would never see them again. It was kind of like my version of a passive aggressive middle finger to those in charge. If I couldn’t keep my own child I wouldn’t let them keep any child I bore.”

“And now?”

“I don’t regret it. I never thought I would have the chance to be free and I can’t change the past. I won’t let myself think about what might have been. What’s done is done and all there is to do is move forward now.”

“I see.” Solas seemed to ponder her words.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night for lessons, right?”

“Yes, I’ll see you then. Goodnight Jack.”

“Goodnight Solas.”

As he shut the door, Jack let out a long sigh and trudged across the way to her cottage. After locking the door tightly behind her, she flopped face first onto her bed. Instantly, anxiety over her actions gripped her. She groaned into the sheets.

_I could have handled that better probably. I don’t regret that it happened per say, but I really shouldn’t have punched him. This is going to create problems. Cullen won’t be happy with a civilian breaking his soldier’s nose, I’m sure._

Jack groaned again. “ _Why am I such a fuck up_?”

There were three short knocks on the door.

 _I see Karma is right on time_ …

With one last groan, Jack pushed herself back onto her feet and tentatively looked out the curtained window at the front of the room. She was relieved (and nervous) to find the Commander himself looking wearily at her door. She hastily opened the door as he raised his hand to knock again.

“Commander.” She greeted, opening the door for him to come inside. “I expect you have already heard about the incident at the tavern.”

Cullen leveled a small glare at her before rubbing his forehead and letting out a long suffering sigh. He dropped into the reading chair near the door. “May I ask why you punched him, Lady Jack?”

Jack blinked. “Do my reasons matter? I have still committed a violent act against one of the Inquisition’s soldiers. Are you not here to duel out a punishment for my actions?”

Cullen blinked back at her. “Normally I would, but on the way here, several different groups of people stopped me on my way over and gave their account of what they saw. Most have said that you only responded in violence after three attempts to turn him away, after which he called you and Captain Tevin vulgar names and placed his hands on your person. I’ve come to get your view of the incident, just as I will the soldier you punched. We try for equality and open-mindedness here; it would be unjust to do otherwise. Is what I’ve been told true?”

“Yes.”

“Then I wouldn’t worry. We’ll call it a first offense.” Cullen paused, then tried to hide a grin. “I hear you have a mean right hook; you broke that recruit’s nose in three places. How’s your hand?”

“Hurts like a bitch.” Jack openly grinned at the Commander. “Solas does good work though.”

“How’s your training with Tevin going.”

“He’s a good teacher. I’m much better with bows and arrows than I am with daggers. Tevin manages to beat me into the dirt whenever we spar with daggers. I think he gets immense enjoyment out of it. I fear the day I start learning with swords.”

Cullen looked surprised. “You aren’t going to stick with bows and daggers?”

“I want to learn everything I can on how to defend myself. Why would I stop at just bows and daggers?”

“Fair point.” Cullen sighed then got to his feet and cleared his throat. “Don’t make a habit of punching people, please. Goodnight Lady Jack.”

Jack smiled. “Goodnight Commander.”

“Cullen please.”

“Only if I’m just Jack.”

“Jack then.” Cullen nodded and took his leave.

Jack locked the door behind him then flopped back down on her bed. Despite (or maybe because of) the excitement of the day, she fell asleep rather quickly.

 

* * *

 

The Spirit of Learning was Jack’s favorite part of the fade. Ever since she had met them, they had been nothing but kind, helpful, and patient with all of her questions. Learning was extremely knowledgeable and if Jack asked any ‘weird’ questions, they answered without judgement.

Then again, she didn’t have much to compare them to. Desire demons and giant six eyed wolves seldom made anyone warm and bubbly inside. At least Learning was offering her information instead of slyly trying to weasel it out of her. Learning also hadn’t tried to possess her upon their first meeting.

That did wonders for their relationship with Jack, honestly.

However, tonight, as Jack walked down the wooden pathway to the open area she met with Learning in, the spirit was not alone.

“Hello Jack.” Learning greeted her. “This is the Spirit of Wisdom. I was telling her about you and she was curious about your existence. Would you mind if she sat in on today’s lesson?”

Jack bowed slightly to the new spirit. “Not at all. It is nice to meet you, Wisdom.”

“And the same to you. Learning has told me much about you. I have not met many humans who are not overly afraid of spirits and was interested.”

“They’ve only said good things, I hope?”

“Yes. Learning has said that you are a very dedicated to her lessons and of that in the physical world. You are sure my presence at your lesson will not bother you?”

“Not at all. I would be honored.” Jack smiled at the spirit and settled into her usual spot in front of Learning.

“Very well. What will you be teaching today, Learning?”

That night’s lesson was on politics in Thedas. They started with more recent politics starting at the third Blight, rather than in Arlathan, then moved on to current politics including the civil war in Orlais and within the Chantry now that the Divine was dead.

It was interesting to learn more about the things that Jack had not seen in her studies back in the Barrier. For all her long hours devoted to this world, she only really knew a fraction of the world as her interactions with this world were confined to what the Wardens and Champions saw and learned in their adventures. 

She’d never known Orlais was so convoluted.

Sometimes Jack would ask questions, which Learning would dutifully answer, but for the most part, she just listened and absorbed the information. Wisdom didn’t say much during the lesson, just watched and observed their interactions.

All too soon, their lesson was over. However, as Jack got to her feet to exit the dream and wake herself up, the other two spirits stood with her.

“Thank you for today’s lesson.” Jack smiled at learning, then bowed slightly to Wisdom. “I am happy to have met you, Wisdom.”

“Likewise. I too am happy to have found someone dedicated to learning. However, my being here was not solely to meet you. Learning had approached me to ask the wisdom in touching you. I have now seen that you are more open minded than the other humans that reside in Thedas and that there is great wisdom in blessing you with their gift. With your approval, not only they, but I too will bless you with wisdom and learning.”

“Oh.” Jack was honestly surprised and very flattered. “I will accept your gifts then, thank you. You both honor me with your faith in me.”

The two spirits exchanged a smile then stepped forward and placed their index fingers to her forehead. Suddenly, Jack felt like her head had become two times bigger and her memory was more organized than it had previously been. She also felt like she could look more clearly at her actions and her surroundings.

“Thank you.”

“You are welcome child. Now, I believe it is time for you to wake up.”

 

* * *

 

Jack woke up, groaning at the gray dawn outside her window. Luckily, her head was not pounding from the drinking and excitement of the night before.

As she got up for her training, a shadow passed outside her window and she froze.

Tiptoeing to the window, Jack carefully peeled back the window. Three tired looking soldiers were standing outside her door. The one furthest to the front had a crushed nose and two blackened eyes.

Jack could feel a headache coming on.

“I don’t understand why I’m doing this in the first place.” The soldier whose nose she’d broken whined. “Why do I have to apologize to the bitch who broke my nose?”

The older looking soldier on his left scowled. “Maybe it’s because you wouldn’t leave her well alone, interrupted a conversation between her and Captain Tevin, a commanding officer I might add, and when she tried to let you go easy, you physically touched her and insulted both her and her friend. Maybe that’s why.”

Jack grinned and stifled her laughter as she carefully dropped the curtain back into place.

There was a huff then three heavy knocks landed on her door.

Waiting for a minute to pass, Jack opened the door with a surprised look on her face. “Hello, how can I help you?”

The older man nudged the soldier forward. “Recruit Carson has something to say to you, Lady Jack.”

The recruit stumbled closer, his scowl still firmly planted on his face. “I am sorry for insulting you and Captain Tevin, Lady Jack. I apologize whole-heartedly.”

He didn’t, Jack could see it in his eyes, but she decided to at least accept his words superficially.

“Thank you, Recruit Carson, I appreciate the apology. I’m sorry for sucker punching you.”

His eyes promised violence in the face of her cool acknowledgement but she couldn’t say what she really wanted to say with the senior soldiers eyes on her.

Well, she _could_ , but she’d rather not start any more trouble for Cullen by being deliberately obtuse.

The older soldier pulled the recruit back. “Thank you for taking time out of your day, Lady Jack. We’ll leave you be now.”

“Have a good day then.” Jack smiled overly sweet at the men as they left.

As she shut the door, her smile dropped. Recruit Carson could potentially become a threat for her. She’d have to redouble her efforts with Tevin in training and start sleeping with a dagger under her pillow.

Learning to throw knives might help.

She’d talk to Tevin about this new development during their training session later. She’d ask him to teach her to throw knives during their dagger lessons after lunch. That would help, surely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again, I am so so sorry :( 
> 
> Everything gets so hectic around the holidays and everything kinda sucks right now. I have five different parties I have to go to in the next week so I won't be updating next week 12/27/16 because I won't be at my computer that day to update. I suck, I know, and I suck doubly for updating with a short chapter coupled with the fact of no update. 
> 
> I'm recommending Dislocated Souls again because IT'S JUST THAT GOOD! READ IT
> 
> Also, as of this update, I only have so many prewrittten chapters left, so hopefully I'll churn out a couple more during the Christmas vacation. I really want to finish this story because I've got like 3 more floating around my head and the sooner I finish this one I can work on the others. I really don't want to abandon this fic, Jack is one of my many children but I know myself well enough that if I start another fic I'll put this one on the backburner
> 
> In summary: I suck
> 
> You know the drill :) Kudos, Comments, just love me in general pls
> 
> Thanks  
> -Jade


	10. Birds of a Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack sees a familiarish face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length - 2,199  
> Jack's thoughts are in italics  
> Another relatively short chapter  
> Also, this update was made possible by ShiaraM, who informed me it was their birthday today  
> Happy Birthday ShiaraM

Despite her paranoia about the recruit Carson, the next couple of days passed quickly and without incident for Jack.

In fact, it wasn’t until the fourth morning after what she had dubbed as ‘the incident’ that anything remotely exciting happened to her.

Jack was in the midst of still waking from her Fade lessons when she realized that she was not alone in her cottage. Adrenalin surged through her and in one quick motion Jack grabbed the two daggers she now kept under her pillow while she slept. One of them she threw at the wall behind the person’s head in warning while she pointed the other in their direction with a severe look on her face.

The dagger she had thrown twanged her the intruders head and they held their hands up in a defensive position.

“Gentle, belladonna. I am not here to harm you; else you would already be so.” The voice was smooth and male, but Jack didn’t let that sway her as she held the dagger eye level while she examined the intruder closer.

He was sitting on the dresser that Lady Montilyet had brought her at one point in the week, one foot firmly planted on the top while the other foot swayed gently off the side of the offending piece of furniture. He was dressed in all black, a large silver mask shielding his features.

Ah, but now she recognized him.

Jack huffed in mock annoyance. “I apologize then.” She gave an awkward mock bow as she put her dagger safely to the side – in reach but not directly threatening her guest’s life. “I wasn’t aware that I would have company so early in the morning. How may I help you, monsieur Le Crow?”

Zevran chuckled. “So you recognize me then?”

“You have a very distinctive voice.” Jack raised an eyebrow at the assassin, then she sent a sly grin his way. “You are, of course, Sten the Qunari.”

He spluttered wildly then roared with laughter.

Jack grinned widely. “How can I help you Zevran?”

He brought his mask from his face to show he was grinning just as largely as she was. “Leliana told me of a little bird who knew of our time in the Blight and I will admit to my own curiosity. I am glad it has not failed me so far. Dreadfully distrustful these days, that Leliana.”

She shrugged. “She’s spymaster these days; there’s a lot riding on her shoulders. I am an unknown with no background to dig up, it’s only logical she would be wary of my presence. She has to put a lot of faith in the things she cannot check. That’s a lot to ask of someone, especially to put faith in someone she does not know.” Jack hesitated. “Also, I may have recently broken a soldier’s nose. It doesn’t really help her trust me and also is the reason for my rather violent ‘hello’.”

Zevran’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, so I had heard. Is it true you smashed his nose in then challenged all the nearby men into a drinking contest against you?”

Jack laughed in surprise. “Not in the slightest. Well, other than me breaking his nose then slamming back my own drink and leaving. No challenges were issued, I’m afraid.”

“A pity. I have some questions if you do not mind answering them.”

Zevran asked Jack a lot about herself and where she came from, which she was hesitant to answer until he told her several things about her situation that only Leliana would have known, so she figured it was okay and answered all his questions whole-heartedly after that.

Eventually, he moved from her dresser to the end of her bed and they sat cross-legged across from each other as Jack told him about herself and her life in the Barrier. Zevran was a good listener, gasping and laughing at all the right places. He started asking questions about the other threads when her story died down and the conversation shifted from her to the other possibilities of this world.

When he’d had his fill of her knowledge, Jack turned the tables on him. “What has your life been like since the end of the Blight, if you don’t mind me asking. I don’t get the chance to see how the Hero’s companions lives turn out after the Hero’s story is done.”

Zevran’s face lit up. “Against all odd, I have been in a happy relationship with a couple in Rialto for the past six years. They took me in and cared for my wounds after I was severely injured after a fight with the crows. We got on like a house on fire and they invited me to stay with them indefinitely and we grew from there to a more physical relationship in addition to a romantic one. We have a beautiful daughter together who is named Scarlett.”

Jack squealed and jumped on the assassin, drawing him into a hug. “Oh, Zevran! That’s wonderful! You must tell me about them all!”

And so he did.

It was absolutely lovely to hear that Zevran had found love and forgiveness in his life and Jack was ecstatic for the elven man. At one point, in the middle of a story about how Scarlett had sent her three parents into a panic after she decided she wanted to try her hand at stealth and they couldn’t find her, Zevran pulled out a small photo of the four of them. Zevran, a tall tanned woman, a dark haired man, and a little girl with Zevran’s hair and the woman’s dark eyes all smiled out of the small canvas.

 “She takes more after her mother and I physically, but she has all the mischief of her papa. Those two get along like butter on bread.”

“She’s beautiful, Zevran. I’m glad you’ve found happiness.”

A blush appeared on his cheeks and he leaned forward to pull her into a brief hug. “Thank you, belladonna.”

There was a knock on the door outside.

“Ah,” he sighed releasing her and stumbling off the bed. “That is my que, I’m afraid. I should be gone before dawn so as not to draw suspicion. I also believe your training starts soon. I am glad I got to meet you, Lady Jack.”

Zevran swept into a ridiculous bow goodbye, then left the cottage, quiet as a mouse. Jack sighed happily, then got ready for her day, an equally as ridiculous grin on her face as she walked to the training grounds.

When she met Tevin in their usual spot, he quirked an eyebrow at her expression, but didn’t ask about it. Unusually, he was not ready with a bow, or daggers, or even a sword.

“Today you’re learning hand to hand combat.” He grinned wildly at her. “Just don’t break my nose, okay?”

 

* * *

 

Danica returned two days later.

Tevin was still teaching Jack hand to hand combat when the returning of the Herald was announced throughout Haven. When they finally rolled up to the gates, Tevin called an end to their training session.

“The Herald is probably going to want to talk to you and the advisors.” He told her as he lowered his fists and released his defensive stance. “Sister Leliana wanted to see you today anyways.”

Jack threw one last punch without any force into it, which Tevin dodged. They both laughed as she stumbled into the dirt and he helped her back up to her feet.

“Alright. I’ll go get cleaned up before I meet them all or Ambassador Montilyet might have a heart attack when I walk in. I’ll see you tomorrow right?”

Tevin hesitated, his smile slipping slightly. “That’s up to the Herald and the Advisors, I’m afraid.”

“Christ, that sucks.”

Tevin snorted, but a quizzical look appeared on his face. “I’ve heard you mention this Christ person several times. Is he your god?”

“Oh,” Jack laughed, waving to Krem and The Iron Bull as they passed through the gates. “No. I’m not religious, I’m a complete heathen I’m afraid. Jesus Christ, the person I reference is a religious figure in some parts of where I’m from, but I don’t follow him.”

“Why do you use his name so much then?”

“Force of habit, I guess. A lot of people I worked with used his name as a curse and I guess it rubbed off on me. It mostly just slips off my tongue. I like ‘Christ on a Stick’ because it’s similar to the phrase ‘Andraste’s burning mistress’ without all the outrage of using a name in vain. Like I said, it’s mostly a force of habit.” Jack shrugged.

“Huh. Okay.”

As Tevin and Jack reached the top of the hill to Jack’s cottage, Leliana emerged from the shadows of a nearby house and delicately stole Jack.

“Captain Tevin, thank you very much for bringing Lady Jack to us. The Herald releases her from your care and you are free to return to your duties as Captain.” Leliana smiled sweetly at him.

Jack felt a pang of her sadness that she could see mirrored in her friend. Still, she shot a smile at the elven man and brought her closed fist to her heart, like she’d seen soldiers do to Cullen when dismissed. “Thank you for all the help, Captain Tevin Assani. I’ll be sure to sing your praises, and you’ve got a drink on me as soon as your free.”

Tevin’s face lit up and he dropped into a salute as well. “Lady Jack, the pleasure was all mine. I’ll be sure to take you up on that drink.”

Leliana was watching the exchange with a keen eye, but ignored her for the minute. She was the one who wanted Jack, so she would just have to wait.

If this was her last bit of time with Tevin, she was going to damn well enjoy it.

Still smiling, Jack stepped forward and held out her hand to him. “Don’t be a stranger, I’m here indefinitely. “

Tevin stepped up and clasped his calloused hand to hers. “Sule sal'melana, ma’falon. Dar'eth Shiral.” (1)

They nodded at each other and stepped away. Tevin left back for training grounds, leaving Jack outside of her cottage with Leliana.

Finally, Jack turned back to the Nightingale. “I was on my way to clean up, unless I am needed immediately.”

Leliana inclined her head. “You have a few minutes. The Herald is cleaning up from her journey still.”

With a nod, Jack slipped into her house and quickly cleaned herself up and changed out of her training clothes. When she was finished, she rubbed her head and let out a long sigh. When did her life get so convoluted?

_Ah, right. When I woke up in that cell under the chantry._

Straightening back up, Jack patted her own face and walked back out to meet Leliana. The Nightingale was still outside her cottage, leaning up against the wood of the building. When Jack opened the door, she straightened and started down the path to the chantry without a word. Jack had to jog to catch up with her pace.

When she finally fell in step with her, Leliana slowed a bit.

“So I heard you made good friends with monsieur Le Crow the other day.” Her voice was like silk covered steel and Jack felt her skin crawl uncomfortably.

“I talked to him for most of my morning, yes. If he used the word ‘friend’ to describe me, I am honored, but I did nothing other than answer his questions honestly and listen to his story.” She shrugged.

Leliana made an acknowledging noise. She looked like she wanted to say more, but they had reached the war room, so all Leliana did was open the door and slip inside. Sighing one last time, Jack steeled herself for a large headache as she opened the door wider and walked into the room where all the advisors, Danica, and Cassandra were looking at her.

_Back into the fray, I guess._

 

* * *

 

(1) – _Until next time, my friend. Go safely on your journey._ Translation thanks to FenXShiral’s work

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week you should go check out a series on FF.net under the author Cassie's Bedlam (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2698730/Cassie-s-Bedlam) Its a world hopping series and the main character is extremely interesting. It starts out w the Avengers then transitions to the X-men and finally Dragon Age. Super super good read 10/10 would recommend. I'm gonna re-read it tonight, its that good. First story is Hope's Second Rising followed by Mutant Reborn and then When in Thedas.
> 
> I hope your holidays have been better than mine and that 2017 doesn't kick us as hard in the nuts as 2016 has.
> 
> Thanks for all the support,  
> Jade <3


	11. Fen'Harel Appears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack fucks up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length: 2,670  
> Thoughts are in italics  
> Here's a slightly longer chapter. Enjoy.

As Jack shut the door to the war room, Danica grinned at her, stopping her conversation with Cassandra.

“Blackjack!” The lithe elf crowed, dancing around the table and pulling her into a tight hug. “How’s your training treating you? You look so much different than when I last saw you!”

Jack blinked. “I do?”

She knew it was a possibility that she had changed in the past two weeks, what with the thinner meals and constant workout she was getting, but she didn’t think she’d changed _that_ much.

Then again, she hadn’t looked into a mirror in quite some time.

Danica placed her hands on both sides of Jack’s shoulders and looked at her critically up and down, patting the new muscles on her shoulders and arms. “You look like your training’s doing you good. You’re a little thinner, sure, but you’ve gained more muscle than you had when you arrived and you aren’t so deathly pale. You’re more confident when you walk too.”

Jack smiled at the smaller woman. “My thanks, then.”

Danica grinned back. “Leliana tells me you knocked a recruit on his ass.”

Before she could respond, Cassandra cleared her throat. “You can catch up later. We need to give our report on Val Royeaux.” Cassandra turned to Jack, her eyes narrowed. “I hear you already know what happened?”

Jack inclined her head to the, frankly, very scary lady. “I have relative knowledge of the future. I did not know what would happen _for sure_ , but I had an idea of several things that might happen. That will run out in a month or so, I’m afraid.”

“And you know nothing beyond that time?” Cassandra looked suspicious.

“I do not. Given how I know about what is to happen in the first place, my knowledge is incomplete anyways. How much were you filled in on?”

“The Herald told me all you told her and the other advisors.” The disbelief was evident in her tone.

“I have already sworn to Danica and Sister Leliana that all I have said is the truth of what I have seen. I would offer you the same swear if it will put your mind at ease about me. The only thing I have knowingly left out is what I know about the mages, something I will explain when a clear decision on who to support is made. I don’t want to talk about it until after your decision, but then I will tell you everything I know.”

The seeker nodded. “I will accept your swear then.”

Danica stepped closer to the table, looking at the map with sharp eyes. “Everything you told us about Val Royeaux came true. Sera came back with us and Madame de Fer is en route for Haven at her own leisure.”

“Have you decided who to support?” Leliana asked, and everyone’s gaze settled on Danica as the tension in the room rose several levels.

She blushed at the attention, but sighed while nodding. “Yes. I have decided to approach the mages. I’ve thought about it for the past two weeks long and hard. Having the Templars there won’t help me if they accidentally suppress my magic in the crossfire of suppressing the breach’s magic. I don’t think throwing more magic at it is necessarily the correct option, but it’s the only option I see being feasible.”

Cullen looked like he wanted to argue, but conceded. “It is a logical reason, even if I do not agree.”

Jack saw Leliana hide her smile as Danica turned her gaze to her from across the table. “Now that I’ve chosen, what happens?”

Jack grimaced. “I’ve spoken with Sister Leliana while you were gone over all I can remember. It’s not pretty, what happens in Redcliffe.”

Despite that, Jack told them of all she’d seen in the thread – of Dorian, Felix, Alexius, of the corrupted future and the knowledge of Empress Celene’s assassination. Leliana jumped in between Jack’s breaths, slipping in things what her scouts had found in the past weeks of their duties. When they finally finished painting the picture of the spine-shivering future.

It was quiet for a heavy moment before Cassandra broke the silence. “So you believe this? We can just trust what she says?”

It was Leliana she was directing the question to, but Jack who spoke.

“No.”

Everyone startled and turned to her in question. Jack blushed under the renewed scrutiny.

“What? Why not?”

“I would prefer if you not just blindly trust my word; that leaves room for errors. You’ve checked what you could of what I’ve said so far, which I appreciate, but at some point, what I know and what will happen will split off and just listening to what I say and trusting that it is true would be dangerous to everyone. Take my words with a grain of salt. There is a possibility that what I say comes true, but it might not. We need to take precautions for more than just what I say.”

Cassandra cast an appraising eye at Jack. “Interesting. Still, what say you, Leliana?”

Leliana’s lips twitched. “I believe what she says is true, and that Lady Jack has been genuine in both her words and her endeavors. Still, I will do as she asks, and take her word with a grain of salt.”

Cassandra and Cullen exchanged amused glances before their iron masks of professionalism fell back into place.

Danica’s lips were turned into a grin, but they too soon fell. “What do you think we should do?”

Jack grimaced. “You aren’t going to like it. I think you should follow the timeline until at least after you come back to the future.”

Instead of jumping down her throat, everyone seemed to think on her words. “To what purpose?”

“Well, Corypheus doesn’t know that we’re all aware of his plan yet. He thinks we’re still in the dark about his existence and I think we should keep it that way until he shows his hand. That way, we not only blindside him with the fact we’ve been aware of him, but we also have an escape plan that works for us. The attack on Haven will happen, make no mistake. At the very least we can be prepared.”

“We can have the non-combatants ready for evacuation to… Skyhold was it?” Cullen moved a marker on the map to a general spot in the Frostback’s region.

Jack nudged it a little closer to where Skyhold actually was.

“Yes. I suggest we quietly send out people who know how to not be seen towards Skyhold and get a rough plan of what needs to be done for a smooth transition from Haven to Skyhold. That throws Corypheus off even more when he needs to rebuild his army but the Inquisition is already back on their feet.”

“Do you have any advice on how to get to Skyhold?”

“Not other than it’s north of here.” Jack hesitated. “Maybe you could ask Solas to help find it? He’s unafraid to search the Fade, and he might be able to save time on the search. Other than that I have no clue. I watched the Inquisition walk through a snowstorm to get to Skyhold, I’m surprised you got there at all.”

Danica hid her smile. “I’ll speak to Solas about looking for Skyhold.”

They spent the rest of the day going over the trip to Val Royeaux in great detail. When Cassandra and Danica had finished going over the details, Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine took turns going over what had happened while they were away. Finally, Danica turned to Jack, who was startled at being addressed.

“How has your training come? I hear you’ve come leaps and bounds in our time away.”

Jack nodded. “I believe I am adequately prepared if a fight were to happen. I am unsure of how I would respond to actual battle, but Captain Tevin has been training me from dawn to dusk every day since you’ve left and I think I could handle myself in a fight.”

“Oh, I think you’d do better than just alright.” Cullen muttered. “She broke a recruit’s nose in three places in a bar fight not even a week ago. Tevin’s told me that she’s a menace with a bow, almost perfect with throwing knives, and not horrible with a sword either.”

“A glowing review.” Danica grinned madly at Jack. “I’d like for you to come with me to Redcliffe.”

Leliana cleared her throat. “Actually, I do not think that is a wise idea.”

Jack frowned. _Why?..._

Danica spoke how she was feeling. “To what purpose? She seems competent enough that I would not mind her help.”

“Think about it Herald, Lady Jack has knowledge no one else could ever have. If we happen to slip up and her existence gets out to Corypheus, they would swarm us to get to her. They may think her an oracle or seer. It would be disastrous all around.”

The thought of being in Corypheus’ clutches made Jack’s skin crawl. “I agree. I did not think of that. After Skyhold perhaps I will join you.”

“I would suggest after we are situated in Skyhold, we send you out with a group outside of the Herald so you can get a feel for actual fighting without being dropped directly in the middle of battle.” Leliana smiled at Danica. “I’m not saying she can’t ever go with you one day, but let’s not throw her in the deep in, shall we?”

Danica nodded slowly. “Alright, fair enough. Well, I think that’s everything. Everyone get some sleep tonight. We’re going to Redcliffe as soon as everyone’s rested. There’s no time to waste.”

Everyone agreed and trudged off to their respective rooms to at least try to sleep.

Danica walked with her to Jack’s cottage.

“I’ll talk to Solas about looking for Skyhold tonight. So tell me, how was your last two weeks. Val Royeaux was dreadful, but that’s no surprise. Fuckin’ Orlesians.” She muttered under her breath and Jack laughed. Danica smiled at the sound. “What I actually want to know is about you punching that soldier. There’s a story there, I can tell.”

Swept up in her cheerful disposition, Jack regaled the story of drinking with Tevin and couldn’t help her own grin as she recounted the exact sound Carson’s nose had made when she’d smashed it like a grape.

“Oh yes!” Danica crowed as they reached her cottage. “After you get back from field training, you are definitely on my team.”

She snorted. “You mean no more tests?”

The elf shrugged. “Only at the beginning mostly. We weren’t sure where to put you, so we decided to give you to Tevin as a beginning test. You passed, by the way.”

“Huh. I’m glad then.” Jack opened the door to her cottage open wide. “Do you want to come in for a bit?”

Danica shook her head. “Nah, thanks though. I’m going to talk to Solas then go sleep for the rest of the week probably. G’night.”

“G’night.”

Technically, Jack didn’t have to go to sleep. She could have gone to the tavern, or talked to Varric, now that he’d returned, but after spending the last two weeks being run ragged, Jack welcomed the break and sleep.

 

* * *

 

Jack was not in her usual place in the Fade.

Instead of Learning’s clearing, she was in a darker alcove, the tree’s branched so close together that Jack couldn’t tell if it was actually night or not. Before she had too much time to ponder on her location and why she wasn’t at her usual place, she caught six glowing red eyes that stared out at her from the darkness.

The giant black wolf from her first visit to the fade materialized from the black.

“Oh. Hello again.” Jack cast a critical eye at the wolf. “Are you the reason I’m not at my usual place?”

The wolf let out a bark of a laugh. “Yes. I was curious and had a question for you.”

She felt her eyebrows raise. “You had a question, so you took me from my lessons in the fade to satisfy your curiosity?”

“Yes.”

“Well, alright. Curiosity and the cat, I suppose. What’s your question?”

The wolf sat on its haunches, nearly blending into the black background. “What do you want with Skyhold? Why do you seek it?”

“You pulled me from my lessons to ask about an abandoned fortress.” Jack deadpanned. She shook her head before the wolf could retort. “I am searching for it because Haven will be attacked in the coming month or so and the Inquisition will need to move. Haven will be destroyed and in my world, I saw them move there to rebuild.”

It cocked its head. “So you do not know the significance of _Tarasyl'an Te'las_ then?”

She startled. “It’s elven? No, I didn’t know there was any significance. May I ask why you, a fade wolf, care?”

The wolf grinned, showing off it’s gleaming white teeth, which was extremely off-putting. “I care because it was originally mine and I do not remember offering it to any Inquisition.”

Jack blinked. “I see.” She sighed. “I should have known better than to assume you were just a wolf. Of course not, that would be too easy. Right, Skyhold. Are you angry about it? I can try to convince them to change their plans, if you do not want us there.”

It rumbled. “No. I have no use for it currently. I am now curious about your Inquisition.” It turned its head away, disinterested. “I will watch your progress in the future. It has been a long time since any walked in my own house, after all. Do what you please. It’s yours, for now.”

“Thanks, I guess?”

The wolf yawned, showing Jack his millions of sharp, white teeth again.

“We shall see.” It gave her an amused look. “You are free to go back to your lessons with the Spirit of Learning now.”

“Wait, who exactly are-“

Jack popped out of the dark alcove and into Learning’s clearing. The spirit startled, but brightened when they saw her.

“Oh Jack! You’re earlier than I expected. Are you alright? You look like you’re in pain.”

Jack rubbed her head. “Something really, really weird just happened, maybe you can help me out. I just met a large black wolf with six big red glowing eyes for a second time, and I get the feeling it’s more important than I originally though it would be.”

Learning hemmed. “A large black wolf with six eyes? The only reference I’ve heard that matches that would be Fen’Harel in his wolven form. Do you think it might be him?”

Jack’s eyebrows leapt up her face. “It might be. But why does an ancient elven god care about me? If the wolf is Fen’Harel, he was one of the first living things I met in the Fade. Why would he be interested? And how the hell would he have found me so fast?”

Learning shrugged. “Fen’Harel was always odd. It sounds like him. You are different from all others in the Fade. He might have been curious about your fire. You burn rather brightly.”

“I burn?”

“Yes. Most people in the Fade, mostly mages, glow. It’s what attracts demons and spirits to a person. You do not glow however. It’s like looking into a bonfire.”

This was new. “Huh. So you really think the wolf is Fen’Harel? He called Skyhold _Tarasyl'an Te'las_. Any idea what that’s about?”

Jack settled in for her lesson on Fen’Harel and the origin of Skyhold. Despite being away from the wolf, she still felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up.

This was a dangerous game to be playing. Perhaps Fen’Harel had gifted the Inquisition Skyhold from the shadows. Perhaps he hadn’t known they’d moved in.

They now had an ancient elven god watching their every move.

_I… I think I might have fucked up._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week's recommendation is Just a Spoonful of Sugar by lovelyskinandbones. Interesting read, but hasn't been updated in awhile. If you have any recommendations you'd like to add, please let me know because I'm running out of material to recommend.
> 
> And now onto the bad news.
> 
> You've reached the last written chapter I have. We're all caught up with what I've written and I start school back up next week so from here on out updates are going to be a little more sporatic. I'm taking 5 classes so it sucks to suck. 
> 
> Good news is that I'm not giving up, just easing out a little bit. I'll probably get a chapter out every other week so its not a total loss? I just don't have enough time for once a week updates
> 
> Hope you understand <3  
> -Jade


	12. Hi...

This is not an update, sadly. 

I know it's been almost 6 months since the last update here, but between college work, my mothers heart surgery, and scrabbling to find another job after being let go from my old job, I haven't had any time to even think about sitting down and writing more to Jacks story. Additionally, I've not been happy with how I've been writing Assimilated for some time now. 

However, I'm by no means abandoning the story. The current plan is to rewrite the chapters I have out and go from there. I don't plan on updating until I have to story complete, because honestly I can see myself falling into the same hole again. But if I put it all out at once, I won't get disillusioned again. 

In other news, I've received my AA from my university and next semester I'll get my BA!! So after December 2017 I'll be fully committed to writing outside my job. 

Thank you to everyone who's stuck by since I've started writing this story. I really appreciate it

-Jade


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